Tracks Across Sand: the dispossession of the Khomani San of the southern Kalahari

The 2013 Annual Elizabeth Colson Lecture set out the history of the drastic and often violent dispossession of the peoples of the southern Kalahari. This is an area reached by the 1908 German wars of extermination against indigenous peoples, and where all the forces of colonial occupation have been brought to bear. For the San living within South Africa, the apartheid regime meant a final eviction from their last remaining lands. This meant that the Khomani became a diaspora of people without rights to land, work or even a place to live; refugees in what was supposed to be their own country. In 1999, a small group of Khomani San succeeded in winning a land claim, as a result of which many were deemed to have rights to land and places to live in new security. The lecture followed the events and aftermath of this land claim, looking at how a settlement might achieve justice but may not necessarily bring well-being. The short film included as part of the lecture follows the people as they launch and then celebrate their claim. NB As part of the lecture, a 35 minute film, 'Overture', from the DVD, 'Tracks Across Sand', was shown. To find out more about the DVD, including a trailer for the documentary and information on how to order, visit the Face to Face Media website.