The long journey to repatriation

STUURMAN’S life has been well documented by historians examining Khoi and San history in South Africa.

The South End Museum in Port Elizabeth, which has a permanent exhibition on Stuurman, has for the past 10 years been involved in researching his life and efforts to have his remains repatriated to South Africa.

In February, interest in Stuurman, in the wake of the repatriation of the remains of famous Khoi Saartjie Baartman to Hankey some years before, grew and began to attract media attention. This led to high level interest in Stuurman, including by the National Heritage Council, senior ANC members, other politicians and leading figures like football administrator Danny Jordaan.

This was followed by renewed contact being made with the Australian High Commission towards repatriating Stuurman’s remains, and the issue being discussed in a portfolio committee meeting in parliament.

The mission for Stuurman’s remains is now officially led by the National Heritage Council which is in the process of uniting stakeholders around the issue, forming working committees and establishing a budget to locate and repatriate the remains.

However, several issues are still to be addressed, including establishing his nearest direct descendents who are still alive regarding ritual requirements around receipt of the remains.

His final resting place must also still be decided and co-operation must be secured from Australian authorities to find and then return the remains.

KHOI HERO: Dawid Stuurman, as immortalised in a bronze statue, which will form part of a large installation of sculptures representing South African heroes. The installation will be at the National Heritage Monument at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg