On Monday, the remains of 63 Khoi and San ancestors were reburied in Steinkopf, Northern Cape. President Cyril Ramaphosa officiated the ceremony at the Kinderlê Monument. Khoi, San, and Griqua communities are most affected. This event brings closure to colonial-era injustices by restoring dignity to the ancestors.
The remains came from European museums. They were repatriated through efforts by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the South African Heritage Resources Agency, and Iziko Museums. The ceremony took place on Monday in Steinkopf. Iziko Museums confirmed these details.
Between 1868 and 1924, colonial researchers took the remains without consent. They disturbed graves for so-called scientific study. The bones were then traded or donated to museums and universities overseas. Many ancestors were denied proper burials.
The repatriation process involved close work with communities. In 2024, Iziko Museums invited Khoi, Griqua, and other representatives to guide decisions. Annelize Kotze, a social history curator at Iziko Museums, explained: “We made a decision…that we need to right the wrongs of the past…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.” The communities chose Steinkopf’s Kinderlê Monument as the burial site.
This reburial restores dignity to the ancestors. It corrects wrongs from colonial dispossession. President Ramaphosa noted the deep injustice of erasing indigenous histories. Khoi and San communities have felt the lasting impact.
Related efforts include calls to recognize Khoi and San as South Africa’s first nations. The government is also working to add Khoi, San, and Nama languages to school curriculums, as Ramaphosa has stated.
Repatriation work continues. Communities will help shape future decisions on remains. A ceremony at a Cape Town museum is planned for the return of more Khoi and San remains. These steps build on the Steinkopf event.
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