San Leader Dawid Kruiper gets State Funeral

June 27 2012 at 10:33am 
By SAPA

---

Ex-QDMS

HONOURED: Oom Dawid Kruiper will be buried in the Kalahari on Saturday.

BLOEMFONTEIN: An official state funeral will be held for the late Khomani San traditional leader Oom Dawid Kruiper in the Kalahari this weekend, an official said yesterday.

The acting Northern Cape premier’s spokeswoman, Bronwyn Thomas-Abrahams, said Kruiper would be buried at Witdraai in the Kalahari on Saturday at 10am.

Traditional Affairs Minister Richard Baloyi, acting Northern Cape premier Grizelda Cjiekella and several Northern Cape MECs were expected to attend.

Thomas-Abrahams said an estimated 2 000 mourners from SA and Namibia were expected at the funeral.

These included traditional leaders and dignitaries from Assmang Mine, SANParks and the Northern Cape House of Traditional Leaders.

Kruiper, 77, died about two weeks ago after being admitted to hospital a week earlier.

He was known for his role as a tracker in the 1989 movie, The Gods Must Be Crazy II.

Kruiper also addressed the UN in Geneva on the rights of indigenous people in 1994, and led the way regarding land claims for the San people in SA.

About 60 000ha of land was handed back to the San in March 1999.

Kruiper was also involved in the development and restoration of the San languages. – Sapa

Update #11: Red Sand

Posted about 1 hour ago

Dawid Kruiper's funeral will take place in the red sands of the Kalahari on June 30th, 2012, near Andriesvale in the Northern Cape.

For details please leave message here ...

Oupa Dawid left his story for us in A Bushman Odyssey, to be posthumously released later this year, thanks to the powerful backing of each of you who contributed to edit expenses via Kickstarter.

Dawid was aware of and grateful for your support ... A Bushman Odyssey will be a lasting testament to his life and legacy.

Thank you,

The team at A Bushman Odyssey

• 

San leader Dawid Kruiper dies

June 13 2012 at 05:45pm 
By SAPA

Comment on this story

---

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Traditional leader and healer of the Khomani San of the Kalahari, Oom Dawid Kruiper, has died.

Related Stories

• Khomani San leader hospitalised

 Traditional leader and healer of the Khomani San of the Kalahari, Oom Dawid Kruiper, died in an Upington hospital on Wednesday.

The 71-year-old was transferred from the Gordonia regional hospital to the Upington Medi-Clinic after his condition deteriorated on Tuesday night.

He was in a critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit, and died just before noon on Wednesday.

A family representative, Anna Festus, said Kruiper was doing better over the weekend, but his condition suddenly deteriorated on Tuesday night.

She said the group Friends of the Bushmen undertook to pay Kruiper’s medical expenses.

Festus said prior to Kruiper's death, well wishes were sent from across the world such as the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Groups of the United Nations in New York, and from friends and family in London.

Kruiper was well known for his acting role as a tracker in the 1989 movie, The Gods Must Be Crazy II.

He addressed the United Nations in Geneva on the rights of indigenous people in 1994, and led the way for land claims in South Africa for the San people.

Some 40 000 hectares of land were handed back to the San in March 1999.

He made headlines when he hitch-hiked from the Kalahari to Cape Town in 2004 to see and talk to former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

Kruiper was involved in the development and restoring of the San languages.

Secretary-general of the Khoi San Gauteng and Provinces of the North Council, Gordon Cassim, said Kruiper's death was a great loss to the Khoi San nation and South Africa.

“May his soul rest in peace, our chief, our prayers are extended to the Kruiper family, the Boesman community and friends,” he said. - Sapa