Descendants of residents of Mapungubwe receive reburial records

Individuals and structures representing the descendants of the Mapungubwe people received records of the reburial process of the remains of their ancestors from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism at a function that was held at Mapungubwe National Park last week.

The records included DVDs outlining the whole reburial process that took place on November 20, 2007. Also included were books and pictures narrating the reburial process. The number of human remains that were reburied through this process is estimated at about 147. 

Since the dawn of democracy in 1994, individuals and structures representing the descendants of the Mapungubwe people have been requesting government to facilitate the process of repatriation and reburial of all human remains from the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape which are held by the University of Pretoria.  They include the Vhagona Cultural Movement, the Lemba Cultural Association, the San Council,  the Tshivhula Royal Family,  the Ga-Machete Royal Family and  the Leshiba Royal Family.

Mapungubwe represents South Africa’s earliest civilization which was established before the colonial era.  It is believed that this civilization traded with the rest of Africa and the East over 1000 years ago, leaving behind a legacy of gold artifacts, beads, pottery and ornaments that are breathtaking both in scope and artistry.

On April 8, 1933, The Illustrated London News reported a remarkable discovery in the Transvaal - a grave of unknown origin, containing much gold work, found on the summit of a natural rock stronghold in a wild region. This site, Mapungubwe Hill, is where the international borders between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana meet. Since the site was discovered in 1933, numerous research and news reports have told the story of Mapungubwe, a flourishing Iron Age metropolis in Limpopo ruled by an African king almost a thousand years ago.

The remains of this ancient society, now known as the kingdom of Mapungubwe, lay forgotten for more than seven centuries until, in the early 1930’s, a local resident revealed their existence to the University of Pretoria.

Handing over the records, Mr Livhuwani Matsila from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism said it was important to hand over all the records to the bona fide descendants of Mapungubwe. “Some of them could not attend the reburial process and it is their right to access the records because everything was done in a transparent manner. The handing over is an important part of their history because they need to be involved in all the processes concerning the reburials.”

On behalf of the dependents of Mapungubwe, Wilson Sigwavhulimu said the handing over represented the pride of the African renaissance and the preservation of heritage. “The eyes of the world are focused on this part of Africa today. We have so much to offer to the world and we are happy that the souls of our ancestors will now rest in peace.”

News - Date: 03 October 2008

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