Cape Town - Motivated by the drive to tell and document the memory, histories and heritage of an area previously referred to as Tiervlei, now known as Ravensmead, a heritage activist said red tape by the City is stopping him from doing so.
Activist and social historian, Chefferino Fortuin is one of the forces behind a community-driven project which includes the memory work for historic cemetery, Hardekraaltjie, which was more than 100 years old and has been closed, sold and partly demolished.
According to Fortuin, Hardekraaltjie was sold “for 10 cents” and the bodies which lay there had been exhumed and reburied at other sites. Fortuin is seeking more details to connect the historical and lineage dots and says he has been battling to do so as a result of the City.
“As an active participant in the dehumanising of our loved ones buried there and the inhuman display in handling our ancestors, we want the City to apologise unreservedly and in addition, we want to know what the City will do in re-humanising my community. The actions of the municipality have stripped our community of its dignity, dehumanised us and attempted to erase our presence, our lineage and spirituality in the landscape to create a white-owned landscape.
“We want to know what the records show of where our people were moved to. This is information they should be able to give us.
“There is no malice in this. We just want to know who was removed and what processes were followed,” said Fortuin.
Fortuin added that an initiative has been underway in which the Ravensmead community are engaging with the Stellenbosch University who bought the land where Hardekraltjie cemetery was located, in an endeavour to “correct and acknowledge the silent marginalised voices”.
City’s spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said no engagements are planned with Fortuin or the Tiervlei community.
“The City is not aware of any exhumation of human remains at the Hardekraaltjie Cemetery.
“To compensate SU for land lost due the main road system in Parow Valley, the Hardekraaltjie Cemetery, adjacent to the University of Stellenbosch’s property was transferred to the University of Stellenbosch in 1974, on condition that the University of Stellenbosch will bear all the cost,” said Tyhalibongo.
SU said it has extended and deepened its community participation process regarding the site. SU’s senior director of Transformation and Social Impact, Dr Leslie van Rooi said: “In consultation with other members of the affected communities, the university is committed to erect a memorial installation at the site of the cemetery, which would remind us of a past when the dignity of the people in the area was tragically violated.
“The process will be guided by SU’s Visual Redress Policy, which emphasises restitution, inclusivity and cohesion in the University’s visual, cultural and symbolic activities.”
Cape Times