South Africa repatriates remains of Namibian liberation heroes in act of rehumanisation

By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The remains of Namibian liberation struggle heroes and other ancestral human remains held in South African institutions will be repatriated to Namibia in an act of restoration, dignity and rehumanisation, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie said on Wednesday.

McKenzie was speaking at a repatriation ceremony hosted by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and representatives of the Namibian government at the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town.

The ceremony marked a milestone in efforts by South Africa and Namibia to confront the legacy of colonialism and apartheid and restore human remains and cultural objects taken from Namibia.

“Today is not an ordinary day. It is a moment of history in which we return mortal remains and cultural objects from the Republic of South Africa to the Republic of Namibia,” McKenzie said.

“It is a day of profound significance, remembrance and