African Communities Resource Rights Alliance

06/10/2026

ACRRA Reflection | Reparatory Justice for Indigenous Peoples

Yesterday in Gaborone, Indigenous voices once again took centre stage. Members of the Botswana Society for Nama, Ovaherero and Ovambanderu marched to the German Ambassador’s residence to deliver a petition calling for direct reparations for the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama peoples during German colonial rule.

At ACRRA, we believe this moment demands more than observation. It demands reflection. For Indigenous communities, colonial violence is not simply history.

Its consequences can still be seen today in the loss of ancestral lands, displacement, disruption of livelihoods, destruction of cultural institutions, loss of sacred spaces, and the continuing struggle for recognition and justice.

The experience of the Ogiek community in Kenya offers an important lesson. The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights recognised that justice for Indigenous Peoples cannot be reduced to financial compensation. Reparations can also require the restoration and protection of ancestral land, recognition of Indigenous identity, protection of culture and language, and measures to prevent violations from happening again.

This is an important principle. Reparations must repair. They must address not only what was taken, but also the structures and conditions created by historical injustice. And Indigenous Peoples must never be treated simply as beneficiaries of reparations.

They are rights-holders. Their voices, institutions, priorities and visions for their communities must shape the reparatory process. This is where Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) becomes fundamental.

There can be no meaningful Indigenous justice without Indigenous participation. The histories of the Nama and Ovaherero also transcend contemporary borders. Their communities and histories connect Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and the wider region.

Their call for justice therefore speaks to a much broader question: How should Africa confront the continuing legacy of colonial violence against Indigenous Peoples?

At ACRRA, we believe historical justice must be rights-based, community-led and grounded in dignity. Justice is not achieved merely when a judgment is delivered or a declaration is made.

01/10/2026

This week, ACRRA’s Managing Director Lesle Jansen was invited to present on “Inclusive and rights-based approaches to conservation and development” as part of the Africa’s Indigenous Peoples, Conservation and Development course hosted by IMPACT Kenya at the University of Nairobi.

The presentation highlighted why climate justice must recognise and protect the biocultural rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs) and their role as custodians of natural resources, biodiversity and cultural heritage, in particular the fisherfolk, communities living with wildlife, plant-based communities, those living by the impacts of critical mineral mining and those stewarding water sources.

Drawing on ACRRA’s work with Southern Africa communities in and around Table Mountain, Fish Hoek, the Richtersveld and Knoflokskraal, Lesle highlighted the importance of community-led conservation and the knowledge communities hold to protect biodiversity and natural resources. This work is importantly building towards a contribution towards inclusive conservation based on biocultural rights.

She also highlighted the upcoming court matter to , sharing the Save the Galley video featuring Khoi-San woman and Galley owner Mathea Eichel, who shares the story and significance of the Galley.

🎥 Watch the video: https://youtu.be/PUpWGtFvbXs?si=G2IFr29pAqpgUP52

📢 Sign the petition to : https://savethegalley.co.za/

The presentation also explored Biocultural Community Protocols as a tool for communities to document and assert their rights to their biocultural heritage through their customary laws and governance systems.

For IPs and LCs, conservation is about more than protecting landscapes and only conserving biodiversity. It is about protecting the Peoples and their identities, sacred sites, knowledge, languages and cultural practices for generations to come.

Climate justice requires conservation that respects rights, recognises knowledge and puts communities at the centre.

We wish our partners IMPACT Kenya, Inclusive Conservation Initiative and University of Nairobi success with the completion of the first pilot course.

30/09/2026

25/09/2026

🌿 What does it mean to protect our heritage?

Heritage is more than buildings, monuments and objects.

It is also found in the places where communities gather, the stories that are passed down, the traditions that are practised, and the connections between people and the land, sea and natural environment. 🌊 ⛰️

For the Khoi-San community, the Fish Hoek Galley is part of their living heritage. 🪶

The Galley houses cultural artefacts and the Heritage Hut, serves as a living museum, and provides a space for storytelling, sacred events and community practices. Its significance is inseparable from its location on Fish Hoek Beach, and from the connection between the beach, the ocean and the surrounding mountains.

The restaurant stands as a cultural anchor for a forgotten story - visibly connecting people, the ocean and the mountains. Spaces matter.

The Galley has also become a restorative space in democratic South Africa. During his tenure, President Nelson Mandela recognised the Galley for its community role. He invited Mathea and her family to his Presidential home in Genadendal to recognise the investment The Galley restaurant made in supporting single mothers from Masiphumelele and Ocean View.

We acknowledge President Nelson Mandela's recognition of The Galley's role in caring for vulnerable communities.

As we approach the Western Cape High Court in October to , an important question will be:

Why can't The Galley Fish Hoek simply be relocated?

For Mathea and the Khoi-San community, the answer is clear:

Culture cannot simply be relocated. 🪶

Moving the Galley would not only move a business. It would disrupt the connection between a living cultural space and the specific landscape in which that heritage has been rooted. 🌿 🌊

Protecting heritage therefore means looking beyond what can be physically preserved. It means recognising the importance of place, people, memory, culture and living practices. 🧑🏾‍🤝‍🧑🏽

Heritage is not only something we preserve. Sometimes, it is something we live. 🌿

“Doesn’t matter who you are. You will find peace on this beach because of the ancestors. They are still there, their footsteps are still there.” - Mathea Eichel, Khoisan woman and owner of The Galley

Stand with Mathea. Help .

Sign the petition: https://savethegalley.co.za/

24/09/2026

“Why can’t The Galley simply be relocated?”

When we head to court in October to , this is likely to be one of the central questions. ⚖️

The answer is simple:

Culture cannot be relocated. 🪶

The Fish Hoek Galley is far more than a restaurant. It is a cultural sanctuary, a living museum and a community gathering space. 🏛️ It houses cultural artefacts, the Heritage Hut, and provides a space for sacred events, storytelling and community practices and memories.

For the Khoi-San community, culture does not exist in a silo. It is deeply connected to place, to the land, the sea and the surrounding mountains and The Galley. 🌊

The Galley hold cultural significance as it lies precisely in the centre connecting the unbroken history to Fish Hoek Beach. Its traditional grass hut, ancestral artefacts and living heritage are part of a specific cultural landscape and history. 🌿

Relocating the business to another building would therefore mean more than moving a restaurant. It would sever the connection between the cultural space, the ocean, the land and the living heritage rooted in this particular place. 🌊🌿 The Galley is not simply a building. It is a living connection and museum to culture, community and place.

Relocating The Galley will relive a past apartheid forced removal the surrounding communities in Ocean View and Simons Town still remembers.

“The Indigenous People, this is their home. I’ve got a museum here, so they can come to the museum... People come from far because this is the closest they can get to the ancestors... That is what I want to create. Our people can come and live their culture, where their ancestors are. This is so important, that we don’t forget.”
— Mathea Eichel

✊🏽 Help us !

📝 Sign the petition: https://savethegalley.co.za/

23/09/2026

UN Special Rapporteur’s Report on Indigenous Peoples in Botswana 🇧🇼 | A Significant Milestone

ACRRA warmly congratulates Dr. Albert K. Barume, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, on the publication of his first country mission report following his visit to Botswana from 1–12 September 2025.

We also congratulate the Indigenous Peoples of Botswana, including the San and Nama, on this important milestone and recognize Duma Gideon Boko and the Government of Botswana for their willingness to engage with and stand alongside Indigenous Peoples in addressing longstanding historical challenges.

The report provides an important assessment of the situation of Indigenous Peoples in Botswana, highlighting both positive developments and challenges relating to legal recognition, ancestral lands and territories, participation in decision-making, access to justice, cultural and linguistic rights, education, livelihoods and essential services.

It particularly underscores the importance of recognizing Indigenous Peoples as distinct rights holders and strengthening legal and institutional protections, while addressing historical injustices relating to land, culture, participation and access to justice.

For ACRRA, this report represents an important contribution to the ongoing national and regional conversation on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, justice and recognition. It provides a valuable framework for continued dialogue, legal advocacy and meaningful engagement.

While significant challenges remain, ACRRA recognizes the importance of the current momentum and stands ready to support Indigenous Peoples, institutions and other stakeholders in advancing rights-based solutions.

Access and read the full report here: https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc6330add1-visit-botswana-report-special-rapporteur-rights-indigenous

SummaryThe report contains a review of the situation of Indigenous Peoples in Botswana, based on information received by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K. Barume, in preparation for and during his visit to the country, which was conducted from 1 to 12 September 20...

22/09/2026

🌊 More than a restaurant: Protecting Khoi-San biocultural rights in Fish Hoek

This October, ACRRA will stand alongside Mathea Eichel and the Khoisan community as she approaches the Western Cape High Court to protect the Khoisan community’s cultural rights guaranteed constitutionally in relation to the The Galley Fish Hoek Restaurant and the surrounding coastal area, a place of deep cultural and heritage significance to the Khoi-San community. ⚖️

The City of Cape Town is seeking to evict the Fish Hoek Galley, which Mathea and her husband have owned since 1987. Over nearly four decades, they have built the restaurant and beach area into much more than a business: it has become a cultural anchor and community hub on Fish Hoek beach. 🏖️

For Mathea and the Khoi-San community, culture does not exist in isolation. It is deeply and inextricably connected to the land, the ocean and the surrounding mountain.

The Galley is therefore far more than just a restaurant. It is connected to history, identity, culture and community. 🤝🏾

🎥 Watch as Mathea explains what lies at the very heart of the Fish Hoek Galley: https://youtu.be/PUpWGtFvbXs?si=xYdGfBOFAesCqBxN

📣 Want to support Mathea and the Khoisan community as they head to court to protect the Fish Hoek Galley? Sign the petition and add your voice: https://savethegalley.co.za/

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21/09/2026

South Africa is once again grieving the lives of women who have been brutally murdered.

The recent murders of women in Ekurhuleni and across Gauteng are a devastating reminder that South Africa’s response to Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) continues to fall short.

Our anger and frustration must translate into action. We need government and communities to prioritise sustained investment in prevention, survivor support, community safety, effective investigations and accountability.

Our hearts are with every family across the country mourning a woman they loved.

Women deserve to move through the world without fear. Families deserve answers. Survivors deserve support. Justice must be served.

GBVF can no longer be tolerated.

21/09/2026

We are deeply grateful to the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) for being a valued partner and supporter of ACRRA and Indigenous Peoples’ communities across Africa, and for sponsoring ACRRA’s Resources Rights Attorney Masi Ncube and Legal Fellow Sabulelo Swartz to attend the Indigenous Navigator Africa Regional Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Indigenous Navigator provides an important opportunity to strengthen the collection and use of factual, community-generated data to document the realities, challenges and rights of Indigenous Peoples. We see this as a valuable opportunity to help amplify the struggles and experiences of Indigenous Peoples through evidence-based advocacy. This data can strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ voices and support efforts to advance their rights across the continent.

We look forward to building on the knowledge, connections and collaboration from the workshop as we continue working alongside Indigenous Peoples and their communities.

21/09/2026