In celebration of Heritage Month, the IJR convened a roundtable discussion on Thursday, 18 September 2025, to reflect on Dr Jacob Cloete’s insightful book, The Attempted Erasure of the Khoekhoe and San. The event created a platform for dialogue on history, belonging, identity, and the unfinished work of decolonisation.

Dr Cloete, a filmmaker, researcher, and entrepreneur from Bitterfontein, developed his love for writing and film as a young soldier in the Democratic Republic of Congo when he bought his first camera. He later completed his PhD in Political Science at the University of the Western Cape, with his research feeding into global scholarship on the politics of belonging, including South Africa’s xenophobic responses and Europe’s anti-immigration policies. His post-doctoral work examines the Khoekhoe, San, and the complexities of the ‘coloured’ identity in South Africa.

In line with his research, his book offers a profound exploration into the roots of structural racism, tracing how ethnic identities were systematically racialised and stripped of indigenousness. Beginning with the 16th-century Valladolid Debate, moving through the Hottentot Proclamation of 1809, apartheid, and into the present, Dr Cloete situates his work as more than an academic contribution, it is a spiritual, political, and emotional reckoning. By doing so, he challenges readers to recognise how colonial and apartheid projects positioned Khoekhoe and San communities as relics of the past, while highlighting the ongoing struggle for recognition, dignity, and justice.

The discussion was moderated by Danielle Hoffmeester, Project Leader for the Sustained Dialogues programme, who opened the session by introducing Dr Cloete and the respondents. Reflecting on the chapters of his book, Cloete stressed that South Africa’s history cannot be confined to the apartheid period alone. “If you only look at history from 1948, it is an incomplete picture,” he explained, noting that resistance predated apartheid and continues in various forms in present times. One attendee remarked that beyond erasure, there is also denialism and disassociation with regards to the Khoekhoe and San, describing Cloete’s book as “the spanner we need to fix the two-stick engine that is South Africa.”

The first respondent of the discussion, Ms Annelize Kotze, Curator of Culture and Identity in the Social History Department at Iziko Museums, brought her perspective as both an academic and practitioner. With a Masters in Archaeology from the University of Cape Town, Kotze’s career has centred on engaging critically with the role of museums in shaping narratives about heritage and identity. She reminded the audience of the troubling legacies of museums, remarking, “The museum didn’t only collect objects, they collected people.” 

At the same time, she emphasised how museums today are slowly transforming into spaces where heritage can be preserved and offer platforms for marginalised voices to be included, although challenges still remain. Raising a poignant question, Kotze asked: “What does a coloured child wear on Heritage Day?”—a reflection on the complexities of belonging in South Africa. She concluded by affirming that the book has reminded her of the purpose behind her own work.

The second respondent, Ms Lucelle Campbell, offered an equally powerful contribution. A !Xam Khoe woman and descendant of South Africa’s first indigenous peoples and enslaved forebears, Campbell is the founder of Transcending History Tours (THT), which tells stories of resilience, survival, and interconnectedness across Khoi, San, Nguni, and enslaved peoples. 

Drawing from her lived experience and heritage practice, she argued for the imperative and urgent integration of these erased histories into school curricula: ““This book is necessary for part of our textbooks, our children’s textbooks,” she insisted, warning that the erasure of indigenous peoples is not a remnant of the past but is rather an ongoing process unfolding in today’s time. Her reflections sparked further discussion around the links between identity and land, the importance of incorporating indigenous education and practices, and how revitalising indigenous cultures can assist in the healing process from historical trauma.

Throughout the discussion, participants engaged deeply, raising challenging questions about belonging, erasure, and what justice might look like for marginalised communities. Together, they affirmed that while progressive recognition has been extended to Khoekhoe and San communities by the state, the process remains slow and inadequate. The roundtable created a space for honesty and critical engagement, opening conversations that often remain at the margins of public discourse.

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation extends its gratitude to Dr Cloete for his important contribution, respondents Annelize Kotze and Lucelle Campbell for their insights and personal reflections, and all participants for contributing to a deeply insightful and thought-provoking conversation on identity, erasure, and decolonisation. As Heritage Month reminds us, dealing with our past is essential to building a more just and inclusive future for all.