Old Harbour Museum returns human remains for dignified reburial

On Friday, 26 November 2021, Minister Anroux Marais was honoured to symbolically handover the human remains from the Old Harbour Museum back to the Hermanus community for a dignified and respectful burial as consultatively agreed on by relevant stakeholders following an in-depth deliberation process.

At the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), we are committed to realizing our vision of a socially inclusive Western Cape for all who call it home. In line with this vision, we launched our Human Remains Reburial Programme in George in June 2018.

This much needed programme is a series of reburials of human remains that are in museums affiliated to DCAS.  During the keynote address, Minister Marais said, “Our departmental Guidelines for the Management and Reinterment of Human Remains and Associated Archaeological Remains emphasizes that museums are not appropriate institutions to hold human remains whether archaeological of historical. Regardless of how these were acquired, where such exists, proactive steps must be undertaken to ensure the deaccessioning where they are in collection and reburial of human remains. Aligned to these guidelines, we are now regulating our museums by handing over the remains to community representatives to be buried with the respect it deserves so to rehumanize our services and restore the dignity of our ancestors and in turn that of their descendants and living community as well”.

The DCAS facilitated the involvement of interested community groups, inclusive of the Board of Trustees of the Old Harbour Museum together with the Museum Manager: Ms du Toit & community stakeholders and traditional leaders and together commenced this very significant process on Friday.

Minister Marais added, “We fully understand that the sacred burial required the performance of rituals in museums and that reinternment must be seen as a process, rather than an event. Therefore, phase one required us to symbolically handover the remains to the community of Hermanus with the utmost respect. As this was a joint ceremony, Phase 2, which was the burial ceremony also took place on Friday. The proceedings of the reburial ceremony was conducted by the community/traditional stakeholders and our very own Mr. Kumresh Chetty, DCAS Museums Human Remains reburial facilitator, according to cultural protocols and prescripts”.  

These developments will indeed assist the Western Cape Government in building the social inclusivity we continue to strive towards through healing and the recognition of all cultures in the province.

On Friday, 26 November 2021, Minister Anroux Marais was honoured to symbolically handover the human remains from the Old Harbour Museum back to the Hermanus community for a dignified and respectful burial as consultatively agreed on by relevant stakeholders following an in-depth deliberation process.

At the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) we are committed to realizing our vision of a socially inclusive Western Cape for all who call it home. In line with this vision, we launched our Human Remains Reburial Programme in George in June 2018.

This much needed programme is a series of reburials of human remains that are in museums affiliated to the DCAS.  During the keynote address, Minister Marais said, “Our departmental Guidelines for the Management and Reinterment of Human Remains and Associated Archaeological Remains emphasizes that museums are not appropriate institutions to hold human remains whether archaeological of historical. Regardless of how these were acquired, where such exists, proactive steps must be undertaken to ensure the deaccessioning where they are in collection and reburial of human remains. Aligned to these guidelines, we are now regulating our museums by handing over the remains to community representatives to be buried with the respect it deserves so to rehumanize our services and restore the dignity of our ancestors and in turn that of their descendants and living community as well”.

The DCAS facilitated the involvement of interested community groups, inclusive of the Board of Trustees of the Old Harbour Museum together with the Museum Manager: Ms du Toit & community stakeholders and traditional leaders and together commenced this very significant process on Friday.

Minister Marais added, “We fully understand that the sacred burial required the performance of rituals in museums and that reinternment must be seen as a process, rather than an event. Therefore, phase one required us to symbolically handover the remains to the community of Hermanus with the utmost respect. As this was a joint ceremony, Phase 2, which was the burial ceremony also took place on Friday. The proceedings of the reburial ceremony was conducted by the community/traditional stakeholders and our very own Mr. Kumresh Chetty, DCAS Museums Human Remains reburial facilitator, according to cultural protocols and prescripts”.  

These developments will indeed assist the Western Cape Government in building the social inclusivity we continue to strive towards through healing and the recognition of all cultures in the province.