Krotoa’s life celebrated on 350th anniversary of her death
“It is not yet done” - these were the words of Chief !Garu Zenzile Khoisan, chairman of the Western Cape First Nations Collective, as he spoke of healing and restitution in the country at the 350th anniversary of the death of Krotoa/Eva at the Castle of Good Hope yesterday.
Hosted by Robben Island Museum (RIM) as part of its 30 year of democracy celebration programme, in partnership with the Castle of Good Hope, the life of Krotoa was celebrated with a lengthy ceremony, attended by Khoisan tribes and dignitaries, at Nelson Mandela Gateway, ending off at the Castle on Sunday July 28.
“We are here to honour the legacy and life of a true heroine of our people,” said Mr Khoisan.
“In this place (The Castle of Good Hope), where treaties were broken with our people, where we were disowned, divorced from everything that represents our essence.
“We have come not to celebrate her death - we are celebrating her heroism. Her children are not dead, they are alive and vibrant.
“In this castle - in these dungeons - we liberate our ancestors and honour them for what they have done to give us a life beyond a life.”
Krotoa, or Eva, was a Khoi woman who was an instrumental interpreter and negotiator alongside Jan van Riebeeck, the first Dutch Commander at the Cape.
Born into the Goringhaicona tribe in 1642 as the niece of Autshumao, a prominent Khoi leader during the early days of Dutch colonialism, her name means “a girl in the wardship of others”.
At the young age of 11, she was taken as a servant in the home of Jan Van Riebeeck. There, she learned Dutch and ultimately became a critical translator and mediator between the Dutch settlers and the Khoi from 1650 to 1660.
She married Pieter van Meerhoff, a white Danish soldier and surgeon in service of the VOC, in 1664, the first recorded interracial marriage. Van Meerhoff was appointed postmaster of Robben Island in 1665 and thus relocated there with Krotoa and their two children.
After the death of her husband in 1666, she moved back to the mainland, where she was looked down upon and labelled as a traitor by her tribe, which allegedly resorted to her excessive drinking and sex work, prompting expulsion from the Dutch.
She was then imprisoned at the Van Riebeeck’s’ old Fort (on the current Grand Parade) before being banished to Robben Island, where she later died.
According to most historical records, her remains were buried at the current Castle of Good Hope, only to be exhumed and reburied in Die Groote Kerk in the city centre.
Abigail Thulare, the CEO of Robben Island Museum, said while Robben Island is well known for the imprisonment of men for opposing the apartheid system, it is imperative to also recognise that women also played a significant role in the fight for democracy and freedom.
“It is therefore befitting that RIM celebrates Krotoa as the central focus of this important conversation set against the backdrop of her contemporaries and those of other women with connections to the island, continuing to recognise women for their unwavering resilience and their achievements, as an expression of appreciation for those who have risked their lives and freedom for a just South Africa.”
Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of the Castle Control Board, said: “Krotoa/Eva remains one of the most complex historical figures then and now. During her time, she was both unifier and divider, stateswoman and ordinary tribe member, diplomat and mother figure - to mention but a few.
“But in our decolonial heritage endeavours at the castle, we see her historical persona as a powerful modern symbol towards the healing of a dismembered, brutalised and dehumanised nation.”
The day consisted of visits to three significant sites in Krotoa’s life - Robben Island, Die Groote Kerk and the Castle of Good Hope. Flowers were also laid on her grave site at the castle.