The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), in close partnership with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD), the Department of Defence and Military Veterans (DMV) is proud to announce two pivotal initiatives: the Exile Repatriation Project and the Reburial of Khoi and San Ancestral Human Remains.

Building on these efforts, the post-1994 democratic government has made it a priority to restore dignity to those who were dehumanised by colonial and apartheid-era practices, particularly the unethical removal and exploitation of ancestral remains. While important strides have been made in addressing this painful history, significant work remains. In 2021, Cabinet approved a National Policy for the Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects, which created a structured framework for coordinated, country-to-country repatriation and set the foundation for a more inclusive and state-led redress process.

The policy was designed to replace the unsustainable model of ad hoc repatriations led by individual families or municipalities. Instead, it provides a cost-effective and inclusive path forward that seeks not only to return remains with dignity but also to facilitate national healing and remembrance. Guided by the Preamble of our Constitution and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on symbolic reparations, the policy aims to honour those who suffered for justice and freedom, heal the divisions of the past, and contribute to the broader goals of social cohesion and nation building.

These projects represent more than logistical undertakings. They are deeply spiritual and symbolic acts of rehumanisation, remembrance, and reconciliation. They reaffirm our government's firm commitment to dignity, cultural restoration, and the healing of historical wounds.

Media Statement from the Department of Arts and Culture - 9 June 2025