Ghosts laid to new rest

2003-09-01 16:46

Cape Town - The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) on Monday announced that archaeological work at an accidentally discovered mass burial site in Green Point, Cape Town, should continue in order to relocate the more than 350 graves.

"Preliminary assessment of the graves suggests that the deceased were buried outside of a formal cemetery, possibly because they did not belong to any of the established churches in the vicinity or because they were victims of a natural disaster," said SAHRA CEO Pumla Madiba in a statement on Monday.

The graves were estimated to belong to people of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The remains would be relocated out of respect to those had not been accorded respect in the past.

"The decision to remove and re-inter (contents of) the graves - which probably included slaves - was influenced by the fact that they were never given formal burial in the past.

Establishment of a formal burial site will certainly provide a memorial and a place of remembrance," said Madiba.

She said the decision was informed by consultation with various focus groups and the general public, with South Africa and internationally accepted principles for the treatment of human remains also taken into account.

'Sensitive' matter

Madiba said the National Heritage Resources Act recognised the sensitive nature of human remains, and to this end SAHRA would facilitate multi-disciplinary research and "involvement in the excavation, re-interment and memorialisation process".

SAHRA would also work closely with Heritage Western Cape to acquire suitable land from the city in the vicinity of Prestwich Street for the re-interment not only of these remains, but of others that may be discovered in a similar manner in future. According to archival records, much of that area was a burial ground from the 1700s to the mid-1800s.

Religious leaders have agreed to participate in an interdenominational cleansing ceremony at the site.

- SAPA