Programme director, MEC G Barry
Premier Noxolo Kiviet
All Chiefs, Chiefteses, Headmen and Headwomen of the Khoi, the San and Xhosa communities here present
Mayor of Kouga Municipality, Mr Robbie Dennis
Mayor of Cacadu District, Mr Mlungisi Gerald Mvoko
Distinguished guests
People of Kouga
Ladies and gentlemen
I am honoured to address you here today. We are here during this Women’s Month to honour Sarah Bartmann. Diana Ferrus’s poem which spoke about Sarah Bartmann’s sadness, and Ms Ferrus’ longing to comfort her, moved Senator About of the French Assembly so much, that he introduced legislation in order for Sarah Bartmann to return home. We pay respect to the Griekwa, the Khoi, the San, Prof. Phillip Tobias and the South African government who all contributed in ensuring Sarah Bartmann’s dignified return to South Africa.
During the interment of the remains of Sarah Bartmann on 9 August 2002, former President Mbeki symbolically declared the grave as a national heritage site. He further promised the people of South Africa that at the place associated with Sarah Barmann’s birth, an interpretive centre will be established. Similarly, the then president also promised that a Human Rights memorial will be established in Cape Town which is the place associated with her departure for Europe. So our gathering today indicates our unwavering commitment to the fulfillment of this promise.
During this year’s Women’s Month, we are paying tribute to South African women who have, and who are contributing to the different layers of the South African story. These layers of stories are often about brutality, but also resilience; about suppression and exploitation, but also perseverance and heroism. The story of Sarah Bartmann unfortunately, is not different. Though there have been many versions of her life that have been written, and spoken about, all are one on the tragic circumstances which led to her early death, and the manner in which she was exploited so brutally.
Sarah Bartmann, is in the league of a very significant group of South African women who before her and after, have shaped the history of this land. She, as part of her people who lived here in the Gamtoos Valley, left a legacy which stretches into the present. There are many women who were similarly abused, raped, beaten and humiliated under apartheid.
There are women today, who suffer marital abuse, who suffer in poverty, or who are not afforded the opportunity to learn. However, there are also women who burned their passes, and marched many kilometers to protest against the apartheid government. Women who hid children during raids, and suffered beatings as a result. As part of this Women’s month of celebration and commemoration, we therefore are highlighting the historic struggles and sacrifices of South African women. These amongst others, include the unveiling yesterday, in Soweto of the memorials of Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, and Charlotte Maxeke. We have launched the Dulcie September Annual Memorial Lecture, and will host the African Women’s Writer’s Symposium, and a concert celebrating Women’s achievements. And of course, here, we honour Sarah Bartmann.
My predecessors constituted the Reference Group which played a prominent role firstly, in preparing for a dignified burial for Sarah Bartmann and secondly, in shaping the design of the Sarah Bartmann Centre of Remembrance that we will be unveiling today. This design is the result of the Sarah Bartmann National Architectural Design Competition which was launched on 7 March 2009 here at Hankey. The competition process was concluded on 1 December 2009 with the adjudication and selection of a winning design.
The department then embarked on stakeholder briefing and consultative meetings where inputs and an endorsement of the final design were concluded. The whole concept design process was managed and administered by the Nelson Mandela Metro University (NMMU) School of Architecture on behalf of the department. With the conclusion of the design development, we are now here to unveil the concept design today.
One of the main objectives of this project is to reaffirm the marginalised history thus redefining the South African heritage landscape. As a cultural institution, the Sarah Bartmann Centre of Remembrance will provide interpretive space in the memory of the life of Sarah Bartmann. Importantly, it will serve as a repository of the material and intangible heritage of the Khoi and San Communities. The centre will strengthen existing initiatives aimed at recognizing the rich Khoi and San heritage such as the Xam inscription in our National Coat of Arms and the use of the word Xapo// for the museum at Freedom Park. The word Xapo// means ‘a dream is not a dream until it is shared by the entire community’. As I see the Centre, it is an important social cohesion project which should bring us together and make us cherish and realise a common dream and vision.
The lessons we have learnt from Sarah Bartmann’s life is that we must not allow gender oppression, de-humanisation, objectification of women, stereotyping or racism to occur. Her history affects us all as women, because of the severe exploitation she underwent. Sarah Bartmann has become an icon of South Africa as representative of many aspects of our nation’s history. The proposed centre will therefore serve a very important function in our lives as an institution that interrogates all these aspects and provide us with a shared national understanding of how we consciously affirm a human rights culture at all times.
In the construction phase, the centre will present business and employment opportunities to the Hankey community and its surroundings. After its completion it will be declared a national cultural institution with a Council, Chief Executive Officer, professional and support staff. In this way the centre will provide sustainable job opportunities. Beyond these prospects the centre will change the face of Hankey through the development of heritage and tourism infrastructure and programmes. In the medium term the centre is envisaged to form part of the Khoisan Heritage Route. In the long term the centre’s heritage value will be strengthened by exploring the declaration of the site as a World Heritage Site because the story of Sarah Bartmann is the story of the world. The memory of Sarah Bartmann is the memory of the world.
I want to take this opportunity to appeal to the community of Hankey to provide safe custody and pay respect to this important cultural property. It is the property which the nation and the whole world have placed in your hands for protection.I thank you.
