Steinkopf: In the vast, arid land of the Namaqua in the Northern Cape - curtained only by rugged hills and rocky mountains - the ancestral remains of 63 Khoi and San peoples have finally come home to rest. During a timespan lasting nearly 60 years between 1868 and 1924, the remains were removed from their homeland without consent for race-based scientific research by colonial Europeans - stripping them of the right to rest with dignity. The remains were finally repatriated last year from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where they had been housed at the Hunterian Museum.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking at the reburial ceremony near Steinkopf in the Northern Cape, highlighted the unacknowledged erasure of the indigenous peoples of southern Africa as a significant tragedy. He assured that the South African government is committed to restoring the dignity of those who were discriminated against and marginalized. The President emphasized that while some European countries have apologized for specific colonial atrocities, they have not fully reckoned with the overall impact of colonialism. He stated that South Africa would not wait for unspoken apologies but would restore dignity on its own terms, recognizing the return of ancestors as an essential act of restoration and restitution.
Following their repatriation from Scotland, the remains were received in a welcoming ceremony and subsequently placed under the care of the Iziko Museums of South Africa in Cape Town. The remains then traveled home to the Northern Cape, where traditional spiritual rites and a night vigil were held before the formal reburial ceremony at the Kinderlª-monument. Chairman of the National Griqua Council, Barend van Wyk, described the pain associated with the exploitative and humiliating illegal removals. He expressed relief that despite the pain and hardship, the ancestors could finally be reinterred in their homeland.
Dionne Barley, a direct descendant of the people whose remains were taken, expressed happiness and a sense of reflection during the day. She appreciated that the remains were now buried with dignity, no longer sitting in museums, and acknowledged the President's role in ensuring their return to South Africa. The event also featured Ouma Katrina Esau, the last remaining fluent speaker of the endangered N|uu language, who expressed gratitude for being able to witness the reburial.
The process of repatriation and reburial was facilitated by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and its entities, including the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Iziko Museums. Elodie Seotseng Tlhoaele, Chairperson of SA Heritage Resources Agency, emphasized the process's focus on restoring respect and human dignity to the ancestral remains. She noted the significance of the burial site, which is already a heritage site and a burial ground for victims of clan wars, emphasizing the importance of individual graves as a mark of respect.
As the sun set on the Kinderlª monument, President Ramaphosa reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the National Policy on Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects. He assured that efforts would continue to forge partnerships worldwide to recover ancestral human remains taken from South Africa.