South Africa has reburied the remains of dozens of Khoi and San individuals whose bodies were removed during the colonial era and sent to Europe for scientific study, in a ceremony that underscored ongoing efforts to confront historical injustice.
The remains of at least 63 individuals were laid to rest on Monday following their repatriation from The Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Some of the remains had also been held locally at the Iziko Museums of South Africa since the early 20th century.
The Khoi and San, widely recognised as the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa, were among the communities most affected by colonial expansion. Many resisted European settlement and were killed during violent encounters, after which their remains were removed and transported abroad for research purposes.
Historical records show that the remains reburied this week were taken between 1868 and 1924, a period when European institutions collected human remains to support racial theories that are now widely discredited. These practices were part of a broader system in which African bodies were treated as scientific specimens rather than human beings with cultural and spiritual significance.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who attended the reburial alongside traditional leaders and museum representatives, described the practice as deeply rooted in racism.
“The sale of human remains of Indigenous peoples for study in Europe was rooted in racism and used to advance theories of European racial superiority,” he said. “They were dug up and turned into commodities and specimens, displayed under the cold gaze of pseudoscience.”
The return of the remains followed negotiations between the South African government and the University of Glasgow that began in 2022, forming part of a wider global movement to repatriate human remains and cultural artefacts taken during colonial rule.
For the affected communities, the repatriation of the Khoi and San remains represents more than a symbolic gesture. It is tied to long-standing calls for recognition, dignity, and the restoration of cultural heritage disrupted over generations.
Ramaphosa noted that while repatriation is an important step, it does not fully address the historical harm caused. He urged European nations to engage more directly with the legacy of colonialism, including acknowledging past injustices and considering reparations.
The reburial ceremony brought together state officials, cultural institutions, and community leaders in a process that blended formal restitution with traditional rites. It also reflects a growing shift in how African countries are addressing historical memory, moving from documentation toward tangible acts of restoration.
What stands out in this moment is not only the return of remains but the change in how their history is being handled. The same institutions that once treated them as objects of study are now part of a process that recognises them as individuals whose dignity extends beyond death.