NORTHERN CAPE — The Khoisan Revolution (KSR) party has officially launched its latest election manifesto, with party president Stanley Peterson outlining a bold vision centered on youth empowerment, indigenous language recognition, and historical land restitution. As more political groups present their platforms ahead of the elections, the Khoisan Revolution’s renewed policy document seeks to address long-standing marginalization while building on documented local government successes.
First launching a manifesto in 2016 with a promise to secure councilor seats for Khoisan communities, Peterson pointed to tangible policy changes achieved since then. After obtaining a single municipal seat in the Namakwa municipality in Namaqualand, the party successfully advocated for municipal accounts to be issued in the Nama language. Peterson noted that this initiative, a core aim of their manifesto to gain language recognition, helped transform the area into one of the 18 best municipalities in the country, allowing the party to act as a kingmaker despite holding only one seat.
Addressing past controversies, Peterson clarified the party’s 2019 manifesto call for reinstating the death penalty and corporal punishment in schools. He emphasized that this was always intended as a national and provincial policy position rather than a municipal one, and affirmed that the Khoisan Revolution maintains that stance.
The party has also navigated internal leadership disputes, including a challenge that required Peterson to take the matter to the Northern Cape High Court to confirm his presidency. Although the legal process took two years, Peterson stated that the party continued to grow during that period. By 2021, the Khoisan Revolution became the third-largest party in the Dawid Kruiper Municipality, securing another seat. Peterson currently serves as the speaker at the district municipality level, again leveraging a kingmaker position to advance the party’s agenda.
Peterson also reflected on his departure from the ANC, citing systemic marginalization. He referenced a specific incident where a premier made derogatory remarks implying Khoisan people were only good for “food and clothes.” Peterson pursued the matter through the Equality Court and subsequently won both the initial case and the appeal, establishing a legal precedent regarding the dignified treatment of Khoisan communities.
On the complex issue of land restitution and redistribution, Peterson acknowledged that these matters are governed by national legislation rather than municipal councils. However, he criticized recent legal proceedings, such as a Western Cape High Court case concerning the Expropriation Act. He pointed out that despite millions spent on legal advocates, submissions failed to mention the Khoisan people, who he stated did not lose their land with or without compensation, but “lost our land with our lives,” referencing historical atrocities where ancestors were killed on their own territory. He stressed that without a seat at the negotiating table, partisan groups will continue to use Khoisan voters without delivering tangible representation.
When asked for a single metric by which voters should judge the party’s success in this election cycle, Peterson pointed to youth representation. He highlighted that the Khoisan Revolution is currently the only party contesting with a slate of exclusively young councilors. Contrasting this with national and local councils dominated by elderly pensioners, Peterson declared that youth empowerment and broader human empowerment are the two foundational pillars of the manifesto, reflecting the demographic reality that the majority of current voters are young people.