Sarah Baartman’s name for UCT hall
A PROPOSAL to rename the iconic Jameson Hall at the University of Cape Town (UCT) to Sarah Baartman Memorial Hall has been forwarded to the university council.
“In April 2015, the council of the university established a task team to consult with the university community to solicit views on names of buildings and to report back to UCT’s naming of buildings committee,” registrar and secretary to council Royston Pillay said.
In June 2016, the task team made its recommendation to the committee, which recommended that council change the name of the Jameson Memorial Hall.
Council subsequently resolved in 2016 to approve this recommendation. Among the options was naming the building after Sarah or Saartjie Baartman. “Sarah’s
story is a victory over colonialism. It is a reminder that she suffered as a black woman, a poor woman and because she was a woman, gender, race, class. The story of Sarah Baartman needs to be told over and over again because there are so many lessons in it. Having a building named after her, especially a university building, can enhance our truth and reconciliation,” the motivation read.
Baartman went to England in 1810, she left with her employer Hendrik Cesars and William Dunlop, an English doctor who worked at the Cape Slave Lodge. Baartman spent four years on stage in England and in Ireland.
She was paraded as a sexual freak, despite not being exhibited nude. Baartman died in December 1815 after living in poverty.
She died in Paris of an inflammatory disease. Parts of her body had been dissected and her remains were displayed at the Museum of Man.
For more than a century visitors could view Baartman’s brain, skeleton and genitalia and plaster casts of her body. Her remains were returned to South Africa in 2002 and she was buried in the Eastern Cape.
The university’s SRC president, Seipati Tshabala, said: “We believe this is the right move because it shows we are decolonising the university and it will be a strong talking point.”
Tshabala said the way the name will be changed shows that it ties in with colour identity.
“We believe everyone of colour is black and the way Baartman was displayed rose (sic) identity conversations.”
The university council said that it hopes to decide on the matter by the end of this year. –
‘WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE BECAUSE IT SHOWS WE ARE DECOLONISING THE UNIVERSITY’