In pursuit of legacy of EC forefather
Unearthing the rich heritage and retracing the lineage of the Stuurmans, by Shaun Gillham
THE Eastern Cape’s forefathers have bestowed rich heritages and lineages on South Africa and made their marks in spheres from innovation and economics to human rights, the struggle and social cohesion – and none more so than the Stuurmans, of the Gamtoos River valley.
But unlike many others of the region’s famous sons, the Stuurmans’ later lineage is yet to emerge fully.
Clarity on their kin is expected in the coming months as the campaign to recognise and repatriate the remains of the family’s most famous patriarch, Dawid Stuurman, gains momentum.
Stuurman, born near the Gamtoos River outside Jeffreys Bay in 1773 and who died nearly 200 years ago, is widely recognised as the last rebel Khoi chief.
He resisted colonialism and now has been catapulted out of anthropological studies, museums and history books and into the public domain, especially this year.
He has also been thrust into the limelight by Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature member and Khoi and San heritage activist Christian Martin, who has vowed not to cut or comb his hair until Stuurman’s remains are repatriated.
Stuurman’s story has appeared in newspapers, on television and on radio stations, and has even been discussed in parliament.
The National Heritage Council is leading the campaign to have the former chief’s remains found and returned from Sydney in Australia, to where he was deported. He died there and is believed to have been buried in 1830.
And as steadily as Stuurman’s case has progressed, so have a plethora of claimants to his lineage emerged.
And, while establishing a link to the original Stuurman family would give status to any successful claimant, the importance of identifying the most direct link to Dawid Stuurman lies in Khoi culture and ritual. These dictate that any remains should be received by a direct relative.
“But this is obviously going to be a complex and difficult task,” Martin said, adding that drivers of the campaign would prefer this process to be left until remains were located.
“What one must realise is that things were done very differently in those days. An example of this complexity is that Stuurman was known to have had three Xhosa wives. They were probably a result of the alliance they had established with the amaXhosa to resist the colonialists,” Martin said.
“The focus should be on locating the remains and repatriating them. The process of establishing direct descendents will follow and this may involve claimants forwarding proof or even through DNA testing.”
Martin added he was aware of a number of lineage claimants in the Uitenhage and Bethelsdorp area, and even in Zwide, traditionally an African township.
According to the South End Museum which, under former PE deputy mayor Errol Heynes has campaigned for Stuurman for many years, a certain Klaas Stuurman, is a strong candidate as a direct descendent, and was in all likehood named after Dawid’s older brother, Klaas Stuurman, of the Humansdorp area.
“Yes, I understand there is a Klaas Stuurman and I do believe there is a strong possibility he has a direct line to Dawid Stuurman. This will, however, have to be investigated at a later stage,” Martin said.
Weekend Post was unable to establish Klaas’s whereabouts.
Chief Michael Williams, head of the Gamtkwa-Gamtouers tribe, named the children of a late Patensie woman with the surname Fouche-Stuurman, as other direct descendents.
“But there are Stuurmans everywhere in the area. It is important that effort and resources are also put into establishing the history of the Khoi,” Williams said.