Litnet

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The name Krotoa is not only linked to a woman, but also to an entire underrepresented group of people indigenous to Southern Africa and the area now known as the Western Cape.

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Paul Murray attended an event on Saturday, 20 May 2023.

Figure 1. On the left, formerly the RW Wilcocks Building, recently renamed Krotoa Building; on the right, the Ou Hoofgebou. Photographs by Paul Murray.

Paul recalls this building as the start to his academic career. He came to the University of Stellenbosch in 1974, so next year will be the 50th year after he had arrived there. This is the building in which the lessons presented to him by the lecturers got him excited about learning. Across the way is the Ou Hoofgebou, equally inspiring. Until recently the Krotoa Building was known as the RW Wilcocks Building (opened in 1966, named after a former rector of the university). It has been the home of several social sciences, including history, in which department Paul obtained his MA for his thesis titled “The historiographic metafiction of Etienne van Heerden” (2002). It is ironic that Paul chose to write on that topic, and that in those early years at Stellenbosch he met Etienne and his wife Karin in the very room visible in the photograph below, when Etienne was the editor of Die Matie and Paul a correspondent for art for the publication. Paul went on to be appointed business manager of Die Matie and proudly reflects on how he and Etienne brought out the first ever colour edition. All of this from that single room in what is now called the Krotoa Building, and correctly so! Shared histories are powerful histories!

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​The history of Krotoa is a colourful but complex one. Krotoa !Goa/Gõas “Eva” van Meerhof (1642–1674), of the Ammaqua, ​​or Water People (Watermans), and the Goringhaiqua, lived at the Cape in the time of Jan van Riebeeck, who is known as the founder of a refreshment station for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1652. Krotoa, named Eva by the Dutch authorities, worked as an interpreter for her people and the VOC. The University’s Executive Committee of Council decided to rename the building after a decision, following due process, on 16 August 2021. Ronel Retief, the Registrar and Chair of the Naming Committee, said the following:

The name Krotoa is particularly significant now that we are celebrating Women’s Month. Apart from a few residences, no SU buildings have previously been named after women … The name Krotoa is not only linked to a woman, but also to an entire underrepresented group of people indigenous to Southern Africa and the area now known as the Western Cape. As such, it acknowledges the heritage of the First Nation people of our region, and we also acknowledge something of our shared and complex history … In addition, Krotoa’s role as interpreter between diverse cultural and language groups is a demonstration of bridge building, which is particularly relevant to conversations on multilingualism, inclusivity and creating a mutual understanding between different groups of people … So, with this name, we wish to send a strong message about our commitment to transformation and redress at SU.

There were two different venues for the ceremony that took place at the university on Saturday, 20 May. The first was a ceremony on the steps of the Krotoa Building, followed by a dance event in the Stellenbosch University Museum, 200 metres from the university buildings in Ryneveld Street.

The following video clip explains the stance on the renaming of the building from the university itself.

For a full version explaining the process of renaming, click here.

Figure 2. The !Nau began at around 08h30, with the leaders of the Cochoqua Khoisan Community of the Western Cape officially present standing on the steps of the Krotoa Building. Photograph by Paul Murray.

The !Nau (inauguration ceremony) began at around 08h30 on the steps of the Krotoa Building. Present were the regional leaders of the Chochoqua Khoisan Community of the Western Cape as well as several of its members clad in their traditional dress, as can be seen in one of the photographs below. They represent the San and Khoikhoi nations, whose histories go back in South Africa to more than 130 000 years ago, as the First Nations of Southern Africa. The !Nau was followed by a praise singer’s acknowledging the land as the rightful land of the First Nations. Tribute was paid to the late Karel King, the spiritual director of the Cochoqua Khoisan Community. A word of welcome was given by Leslie van Roi, the university’s Senior Director: Social Impact and Transformation. The renaming ceremony was guided by the traditional leaders referred to above, in conclusion of a two-day ritual in honour of Krotoa.

Figure 3. Members of the Cochoqua Khoisan Community in their traditional dress in front of the Krotoa Building. Photograph by Paul Murray.

After the inaugural ceremony, the audience moved to the Stellenbosch University Museum to attend a dance called “Crossing oceans inside”. This event was a very moving account, beautifully choreographed, with artists from Australia travelling 12 000 km to meet with their South African counterparts and join hearts. In this way these two representative groups from Australia and South Africa acted out their common history as members of these countries’ First Nations. An explosion of dance, music, ritual and poetry brought them to this destination.

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From South Africa there was the celebrated Namaqua Garage Dance Ensemble from O’Kiep, and Australia’s Gurambilbarra Townsville-based Wulgurukaba Walkabouts Aboriginal Dancers (from North Australia, in the traditional lands of the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people) engaged in a rare collaboration of dance.

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The two groups’ histories are wonderful to relate. From South Africa there was the celebrated Namaqua Garage Dance Ensemble from O’Kiep, and Australia’s Gurambilbarra Townsville-based Wulgurukaba Walkabouts Aboriginal Dancers (from North Australia, in the traditional lands of the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people) engaged in a rare collaboration of dance. The performance fuses unique, traditional, indigenous artistry together with modern inter-disciplinary art forms that results in an outcome that challenges the audience socially.

Figure 4. Actors acting out their common history as members of Australia and South Africa’s First Nations at the Stellenbosch University Museum in Ryneveld Street. Photograph by Paul Murray.

After a number of acknowledgements and addresses at the Museum – among them addresses by Tegan Brink, the Australian High Commissioner, who explained the occasion, and the Rector of Stellenbosch University, Wim de Villiers, who set out the context of the Krotoa journey and visual redress at the university. The event concluded with refreshments served in the courtyard of the building erected in 1907, formerly the Bloemhof Meisieskool (Bloemhof Girls’ School) designed by architect W Hesse in the Flemish Revival Style. The refreshments were in the form of foraged food and indigenous offerings prepared by Shihaam Domingo. Guests were also invited to attend the exhibition to coincide with the event (on the first floor of the building) or just stay and relax and partake of an ancient cultural tradition that lives on today in the very place where it began more than 100 000 years ago. There are not many countries today that can claim that they still have their First Nations, such as Australia and South Africa.

Figure 5. Foraged food and indigenous offerings were available as part of the ceremony, where guests could enjoy dishes such as alikreukel (sea snail) served in perlemoen shells, and roosterkoek. Forming part of the table décor were peacock feathers, treasured because of the colour blue that encourages speaking the truth. The peacock is one of the nation’s spirit birds. Photographs by Paul Murray.

Finally, guests were asked to leave something of themselves behind, in recognition and in honour of our First Nations.

See also:

Krotoa neem haar volwaardige plek op US-kampus in