Members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature will be leaving for Australia for what they say will be the spiritual repatriation of Khoi leader, Dawid Stuurmaan.
The Khoi Chief and political activist was one of the few known people to have escaped more than once from Robben Island where he was imprisoned for his fight against colonialism which began as early as around 1808.
As his punishment, Stuurman, who had shown leniency towards some of the colonists at the time of the escape, had to watch his comrades being hanged before he was exiled to Australia where he later died.
"There was a great deal of South African history that was yet to be known. Part of that lost great history is the HIS-STORY of Dawid Stuurman. This is an emotional matter, as when one talked about the icon Dawid Stuurman, it is about someone who led a rebellion but who also could be a symbol of unification within the country, in particular to the ''so called coloured'' community. The process has taken a long time in planning and consultation with various stakeholders including families, Khoisan representatives, Government and researchers. This is an opportunity that the South Africa people must not miss to engage in unification and nation building," Member of the EC legislature, Christian Martin, said in a statement.
"The delegation of South Africa will depart for Australia from 10 to 15 June 2017 and the official business will be to repatriate the spirit," Martin said.
Martin added that because there are no bones to repatriate, they will conduct what he described as a spiritual repatriation.
He said the ceremony will be led by traditional leaders, Khoi Chiefs and Stuurman's descendants.
Martin said they would bring along traditional healers, to lead the ceremony, Khoi Chiefs and members of the Stuurman family, "the spiritual repatriation will entail utilizing of local tree branches for traditional ritual purposes, and that includes umphafa tree that will be taken to Australia with the delegation as part of their baggage, and come back with it carrying the spirit."
Martin said because there are no bones to repatriate they will bring back his spirit, "the delegation plans to meet progressive Aborigines Cultural Groups to share ideas on spiritual repatriation at the Hotel on 12 June 2017. Spiritual repatriation will nevertheless be conducted through traditional rituals at the Central Railway Station on 13 June 2016."
Martin added that Stuurman's spirit will be "laid to rest in a ceremony that will take place at Sarah Baartman's Heritage Centre in Hankey on 16 June."
"This is aimed at healing the wounds of the past and allowing the Stuurman family and the Khoi community to find closure."
"Chief Stuurman was a true national hero who should be celebrated by everyone in South Africa irrespective of their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. He is a unifying symbol on whose legacy we should foster social cohesion and nation building," Martin concluded.
