Khoi & San remains repatriated from European museums to be reburied
· The South African
Repatriated Khoi and San remains will be reburied in a presidential ceremony this week, marking a step towards restoring dignity after colonial-era injustices.
The ancestral remains of those to be reburied total 63, following repatriation over successive periods from museums in Europe.
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SA President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to officiate the ceremony at the Kinderlê Monument in Steinkopf, Northern Cape, on Monday 23 March 2026.
Khoi & San remains return home
The remains form part of a much larger number of indigenous people who were illegally removed from their graves in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Many were traded or donated to museums and universities in Europe for research purposes.
For Khoi and San communities, these acts are rooted in a longer history of colonial dispossession, cultural erasure, and exploitation, Government noted.
Reburial guided by communities and heritage bodies
The repatriation and reburial process has been led by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, alongside the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Iziko Museums.
Cultural oversight has been provided by the Northern Cape Task Team, representing various Khoi and San groupings.
“This repatriation programme forms part of a broader national commitment to honour those who sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom, ensuring that they are returned to their homeland with the dignity and respect they deserve,” SA Government said in a statement.
The reburial is deeply significant – aligning with the commemorative spirit of Human Rights Month.
“Human Rights Day commemorates the struggle against dispossession, violence and the denial of dignity,” Government added.