Keypoints:
- South Africa reburies 63 Khoi and San remains
- Remains repatriated from European institutions
- Ceremony marks Human Rights Month milestone
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has led a solemn reburial ceremony for 63 Khoi and San ancestral remains in South Africa’s Northern Cape, marking a significant step in addressing the country’s colonial legacy.
The remains were interred at the Kinderlê Monument in Steinkopf after being repatriated from European museums where they had been held for decades.
Restoring dignity after colonial violations
The reburial underscores a broader national effort to confront historical injustices against indigenous communities. Authorities say the return and reinterment of ancestral remains are central to restoring dignity to South Africa’s First Peoples, many of whom were subjected to exploitation, displacement and racialised scientific practices during colonial rule.
Remains taken without consent
According to a presidential statement, the 63 individuals represent only a small portion of thousands of indigenous remains removed from southern Africa between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Many were exhumed without the consent of their communities and later transferred to universities and museums abroad. Officials say these practices formed part of a colonial system that commodified human remains and undermined indigenous identity.
Repatriation from European institutions
Authorities confirmed that the remains were returned from several European institutions over multiple years.
In October 2025, a group of ancestral remains was repatriated from the University of Glasgow, where they had been held after being taken between 1868 and 1924. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture described the removals as part of ‘harmful colonial practices’.
Officials say the repatriation process represents a meaningful step towards ‘restoration, dignity and healing’ for affected communities.
Ramaphosa highlights deep-rooted injustice
President Ramaphosa used the ceremony to stress that the injustices experienced by Khoi and San communities extend far beyond the apartheid era.
He pointed to centuries of colonial conquest, including land dispossession, cultural erasure and the exploitation of indigenous people through race-based scientific research involving ancestral remains.
The president said the reburial serves both as a memorial and as a corrective act in acknowledging these historical violations.
Community-led cultural oversight
The initiative has been led by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, working alongside the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Iziko Museums of South Africa.
Cultural oversight has been provided by the Northern Cape Task Team, representing various Khoi and San communities, to ensure that the reburial process aligns with traditional customs and community expectations.
Officials say this collaboration has been essential in ensuring the respectful return of the remains.
Part of Human Rights Month commemorations
The ceremony forms part of South Africa’s Human Rights Month, which commemorates the struggle against dispossession, violence and the denial of dignity.
Authorities say the reburial is both symbolic and practical, reflecting a broader commitment to restitution and reconciliation. Efforts to identify and repatriate additional ancestral remains are expected to continue as part of this national programme.
