Colin Meyer, a poet, actor, and traditional Khoi instrumentalist, opened proceedings with an Indigenous blessing. Picture by Jeffrey AbrahamsDutch King, Willem Alexander, on July 1st, 2023 during the 160th commemoration of the abolition of slavery by the Dutch, stated: "Slave trade and slavery are recognised as a crime against humanity. Apologies were offered for the transatlantic slave trade to Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean islands, but South Africa and the slave trade around the Indian Ocean were largely ignored."
Scholars from South Africa, Suriname and Indonesia recently came together at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to examine the enduring legacy of Dutch colonial slavery. Discussions ranged from historical memory and reparative justice to the linguistic and cultural influences that continue to shape contemporary South Africa.
The discussions formed part of the International Knowledge Cooperation Symposium on Dutch Slavery Pasts and Afterlives. The symposium aimed to deepen understanding of slavery's long-term impacts and foster international collaboration around research, education and public engagement.
Opening the symposium, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Robert Balfour, emphasised the importance of examining what comes after official acknowledgements of historical injustice. Referring to apologies issued by Dutch leaders in recent years, Prof Balfour challenged delegates to consider the next steps in the process of historical redress: “What follows after an apology has been issued?” he asked, noting that such acknowledgements create opportunities for conversations about restitution, reparation and repair.
One of the symposium's presentations focused on the linguistic legacies of slavery and the formation of Kaaps, highlighting how enslaved people brought not only labour but also languages, knowledge systems and cultural practices to the Cape.
Prof Quentin Williams is Director of the Centre for Multilingualism and Diversities Research (CMDR) at UWC and Professor of Linguistics in the Linguistics Department at UWC. Image: Jeffrey AbrahamsProf Quentin Williams is Director of the Centre for Multilingualism and Diversities Research (CMDR) at UWC and Professor of Linguistics in the Linguistics Department at UWC. He is also the author of the first-ever Kaaps dictionary. Presenting at the symposium, he explained that archival records reveal a multilingual history that is often overlooked in mainstream narratives. “When you dig into the archives, you're confronted with the legacy - the legacy of dead bodies, the legacy of genocide,” he added. “But you also learn a lot.”
The presentation drew on archival evidence showing that enslaved people from regions such as the Indonesian archipelago brought languages, including Ambonese Malay and Terengganu Malay, to the Cape, contributing to the development of Kaaps.
According to Prof Williams, language remains one of the most tangible examples of how enslaved communities left lasting traces despite the violence and displacement they experienced.
“What they brought with them was not only their material belongings, but also language,” the researcher said.
The presentations challenged simplified accounts of South African history by highlighting evidence of pre-colonial trade networks and contact between communities long before the arrival of the Dutch at the Cape in 1652.
Researchers argued that colonial systems sought to erase indigenous and enslaved cultural practices through education, legislation and linguistic suppression, while simultaneously creating myths that justified racial hierarchy and exclusion.
Prof Esther Captein from the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) presented a summary of the work that has been done in the Netherlands and is continuing in other countries.
“There's a lot of work being done by various professionals, engaged people. For example, there have been walking guides…which made connections with the various remnants and material heritage of slavery in the Netherlands, but also in the Dutch Caribbean, and in Dutch New York. So you see here that there's … knowledge connecting people to the material remnants of slavery, making it tangible, and I think that is a very significant step that we should encourage in knowledge production,” Prof Captein said.
“What was started in colonialism was perfected in apartheid, and that's our legacy. We have to confront it.”
This symposium formed part of the International Knowledge Cooperation: Dutch Slavery Pasts and Their Afterlives - Suriname, Indonesia and South Africa, a scientific research collaboration initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and coordinated by the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV).
The knowledge cooperation supports local research into the history of Dutch slavery and its afterlives in South Africa. The programme is supported by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
