Cape Town - Drumbeats and incantations reverberated through Stellenbosch University (SU) as the official Krotoa Building-naming celebration was held in honour of the prominent Khoi leader and interpreter.
Traditional leaders and elders blessed the building where esteemed guests from the Artscape, universities of the Free State and Johannesburg, and the Australian High Commission in South Africa were in attendance.
The process of renaming the building, previously named after Raymond William Wilcocks, a former Rector of SU, started in 2019 and it was officially renamed the Krotoa Building in 2021 following consultations.
SU Vice-Chancellor Professor Wim de Villiers said the university wanted to celebrate the diverse range of stories and cultures on its campuses. De Villiers said SU was on a continual transformation journey.
“This is a process of refocusing our institution in a way that will allow a good university to become a great university; a national asset in service of society that belongs to all the people who walk through these halls. The aim is linked to restitution. Our restitution statement from our centenary in 2018 states that we acknowledge our inextricable connection with generations past, present and future, and contribution towards the injustices of the past.
“We apologise unreservedly to the communities and individuals who were excluded from the historical privileges that SU enjoyed, and we honour the critical Matie voices of the time who would not be silenced.
In responsibility towards the present and future generations, SU commits itself unconditionally to the ideal of an inclusive, world-class university in and for Africa,” he said.
Award-winning author and Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Sylvia Vollenhoven, said the event went beyond just cultural significance for the Khoi, Bushman or San people.
“It was also historically significant for South Africa, and that we had the Australian High Commissioner.
The stories and history of indigenous people have been so stressed and destroyed, and that means we are destroying a part of who we are,” she said.
“We need to progress collectively, and that cannot happen if the history of one part of our community is not recognised or included.
If you drive through the country you mostly find statues, icons of the past era, and nothing for the indigenous people.”
SU’s Social Impact and Transformation Senior Director, Dr Leslie van Rooi, said further engagement would look at ways to expand SU’s multilingual environment.
“In our policies and processes, we want to acknowledge that there is more than one language community represented here (at SU).”
Cape Times