South African President Cyril Ramaphosa oversees the reburial of the repatriated Khoi and San remains.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday oversaw the reburial of ancestral remains of Khoi and San people repatriated from Europe.

The ceremony took place at Kinderlê in the Northern Cape province, where government officials, traditional leaders, and descendant communities gathered to honour victims of colonial-era exploitation.

"This year marks thirty years since our democratic constitution was signed into law. The preamble of the constitution calls on us to heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice, and fundamental human rights. Our constitution obliges us to advance restitution for all those who were the victims of colonial and apartheid atrocities," said President Ramaphosa.

The return of the remains marked the restoration of dignity to those who were robbed of their names, their culture, and their very humanity during the European conquest, President Ramaphosa said, adding that indigenous groups, including the Khoi, San, Nama, Korana, and Griqua, suffered dispossession and violence under colonial rule.

Ramaphosa said the reburial formed part of broader efforts to confront the legacy of colonialism and advance restitution, noting that some European countries have yet to fully reckon with their colonial past.

Since 1994, South Africa has actively implemented legislative and policy reforms to address the historical exclusion of South Africa’s indigenous communities. This has been done through land restitution and redress, legal recognition of leadership structures, and support for cultural revival and language preservation.

"Through the National Policy on Repatriation of Human Remains and Heritage Objects, we will continue to forge partnerships with institutions and individuals across the world to recover ancestral human remains that were illegally taken from South Africa," said the President.

The Hunterian Museum in Scotland returned the remains of five individuals along with artefacts such as face casts and a smoking pipe. Other remains have been held locally by the Iziko Museums of South Africa since the 1920s.

The site of Kinderlê was chosen for its historical significance, commemorating an 1867 massacre in which 32 Nama children were killed.