By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Inside 

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton Mckenzie spoke at a press briefing this morning to discuss the repatriation of ancestral and exile remains. In this press conference Minister Gayton Mckenzie shed light on a historical South African issue, in which the first indigenous people of South Africa, the Khoi and San people, were stripped of their dignities when they were removed from their burial sites by foreign settlers in order to be studied and examined. The Minister was also joined by the Department of Justice, Constitutional Development and Department of Defense and Military Veterans. 

In his opening statement Minister Gayton Mckenzie said “ Good morning all colleagues and members of the media and fellow South Africans. Today we gather to not only give you an update but to honour the memory of those whose dignity was stolen through centuries of injustice.” Minister Mckenzie highlights the cruel injustices of the ancestors of those indigenous peoples, in this press conference he highlighted two projects which will go under way which aim to rebury the human remains of Khoi and the San people and the second project will aim to repatriate those who were exiled during the Apartheid era of South Africa. “For generations, the remains of South Africa’s first people, the Khoi, the San and other indigenous groups were stolen from their graves. The ancestors were treated like objects. They were displayed in museums, studied in labs and held in foreign institutions without consent or respect.” the Minister added. The first of the two projects aims to rebury 58 ancestral remains which originated back to the Northern Cape. The process will be led in tandem with Iziko Museums of South Africa and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) alongside the guidance of the Northern Cape Reburial Task Team to delicately execute the reburial process of these ancestors. The communities of Nama, Griqua, Korana and San are represented in these teams to ensure that the process is carried with respect and that traditions are upheld correctly. The Minister also explained that “It is not just about returning remains to the soil. It is about restoring dignity and fulfilling cultural and spiritual obligations.” Discussions with the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow have already gone under way in ensuring the return of Khoi and San remains to South Africa. 

The South African government has also called upon the South African public for anyone that may have information that may assist the government in identifying any individuals who have died in exile. “Thousands of our people went into exile during the struggle for our liberation, many never came home, some died unknown buried in unmarked graves without their families having a chance to mourn” Minister Mckenzie added in the press briefing. Minister Mckenzie has emphasised that these projects are about bringing the heroes home to be honoured and has stressed that it is a moral duty of the government and a “national responsibility.” In the 2020 State of the Nation address Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the country in his commitment to honouring those who have died in exile and giving families an opportunity to bury their loved ones with the dignity that they deserve. 

The second phase of this project is titled the “Exile Repatriation Project” which aims to ensure the return of thousands of South Africans who were exiled during the Apartheid regime. Many of these exiles who never had the privilege of returning home to their native lands are currently buried in unmarked graves as this becomes a pertinent issue that the government of South Africa have a moral obligation to fulfill. This will also be an opportunity for these exiles to be honoured with respect and dignity for their endurance and for their lives given for the struggle for liberation. Military Veterans had called on the government in 2019 as the foundation in establishing this initiative, through a national policy which was  later approved by Cabinet in order to implement the Repatriation of Human Remains and Heritage Objects in 2021. A delegation will be sent to Angola, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe in order to inspect cemetery records, mapping various graves and conducting historical research in order to diligently expedite the process of repatriation. 

Minister Gayon Mckenzie closed his briefing with a powerful statement saying “ These are not acts of charity. These are acts of justice.” This statement places heavy emphasis on the country’s dire need to be healed from past acts of oppression which still affects the country in today’s climate. This is seen as a positive step forward towards true reconciliation of past atrocities by giving a voice to those who died for the liberty of the South African indigenous people.