Khoi and San remains from European museums reburied in Northern Cape

A historic reburial of the remains of 63 Khoi and San ancestors in Steinkopf has brought closure to a painful chapter in South African history.

The remains, once held in European museums, have been laid to rest in the Northern Cape with President Cyril Ramaphosa officiating the ceremony.

ALSO READ: Khoi and San communities call on govt to recognise them as first nations of SA

The event marked the return of remains removed without consent during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Many were taken after graves were disturbed and then traded or donated to museums and universities overseas.

The repatriation forms part of a long-running effort led by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Iziko Museums.

A social history curator at Iziko Museums, Annelize Kotze, said the process has been deeply collaborative and rooted in restoring dignity.

"We made a decision...that we need to right the wrongs of the past... In 2024, we invited people from various communities, representing the Khoi, the Griqua... and we told them...we would like you guys to guide us in this process, because we felt the museum should not dictate what should happen to the ancestors of these communities."

Members of these communities have been instrumental in determining how and where the remains ought to be buried, explains Kotze.

"The communities decided that everyone would bury their ancestors in Steinkopf at the Kinderlê Monument."

She adds that the return of the remains is not only about correcting historical wrongs, but also about acknowledging the lasting impact of colonial-era dispossession.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa: State working to include Khoi, San, Nama languages into school curriculum

ALSO READ: CT museum to host ceremony for return of remains from Khoi, San descendants

Between 1868 and 1924, Khoi and San remains were taken without permission from their burial sites by colonial researchers in Europe, mainly for so-called 'scientific' study.

Many were denied a proper burial.

During the ceremony on Monday, Ramaphosa said the deep injustice of erasing the histories of indigenous people in South Africa had long gone unrecognised.

To listen to Kotze in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, use the audio player below: