UCT to help rebury human remains stolen by medical graverobbers in the 1920s

Descendants of the deceased will be present for a reburial ceremony on Sunday.

UCT will rebury the human remains of Cape citizens brought to UCT by a medical graverobber in the 1920s to UCT in Sutherland next weekend, following authorization by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture and a permit from the South African Heritage Resource Agency.

The reburial program will span three days, from Friday to Sunday, in a collaborative process with the Sutherland community and the Abraham and Stuurman families.

In 2018, UCT disclosed the unethical acquisition of sacred human remains from Sutherland in the 1920s by a medical student for anatomical research. Restorative justice measures were initiated, involving engagement with affected families and stakeholders.

Graverobbing, though always considered a crime, was once the norm in Western medical research establishments, particularly in the 19th century, when they struggled to get a hold of cadavers for medical research through voluntary means.

Delays to the reinterment process occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making a reburial impossible during restrictions on public gatherings.

Friday’s events include a wrapping and renaming ceremony at the Faculty of Health Sciences, followed by a symbolic handover on Saturday at the N1 turn-off into Sutherland.

UCT looks forward to hosting the historic event, framing the effort as an atonement for apartheid crimes and engaging in “restorative justice interventions” with the affected families and the Sutherland community.

Church proceedings and the reburial will take place on Sunday in a closed family session at the historic cemetery in Sutherland.

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