President Ramaphosa Leads Reburial of 63 Khoi and San Ancestors in Steinkopf

On Monday, the remains of 63 Khoi and San ancestors were reburied in Steinkopf, Northern Cape. These remains came from European museums. President Cyril Ramaphosa officiated the ceremony at the Kinderlê Monument. Khoi, San, and Griqua communities are most affected. The event provides closure for colonial-era injustices. It restores dignity to the ancestors, according to Iziko Museums.

The reburial involved 63 sets of remains repatriated from overseas. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), and Iziko Museums led the effort. President Ramaphosa attended the ceremony on Monday.

A social history curator at Iziko Museums, Annelize Kotze, explained the process. “We made a decision…that we need to right the wrongs of the past,” she said. In 2024, the team invited Khoi, Griqua, and other community members to guide decisions. The communities chose the Kinderlê Monument in Steinkopf for the burial.

Between 1868 and 1924, colonial researchers took Khoi and San remains without consent. They disturbed graves for so-called scientific study. The remains were then traded or donated to museums and universities in Europe. Many ancestors were denied proper burials.

“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.”
— Annelize Kotze, Iziko Museums

The repatriation started as part of efforts in 2024. Communities played a key role in choosing the site.

This reburial restores dignity to the ancestors. It helps correct wrongs from colonial times. Ramaphosa noted the deep injustice of erasing indigenous histories in South Africa.

“The deep injustice of erasing the histories of indigenous people in South Africa had long gone unrecognised.”

It also acknowledges the lasting impact of dispossession. Related steps include efforts to add Khoi, San, and Nama languages to school curriculums. A Cape Town museum plans a ceremony for Khoi and San descendants.

Ongoing repatriation work continues. Communities will guide future decisions on remains. Khoi and San groups call for recognition as South Africa’s first nations. These steps build on the Steinkopf event.

For more details, listen to Kotze’s interview on CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit.

Also read:

• Khoi and San communities call on govt to recognise them as first nations of SA
• Ramaphosa: State working to include Khoi, San, Nama languages into school curriculum
• CT museum to host ceremony for return of remains from Khoi, San descendants