THE NEED FOR A NATIONAL POLICY

This book is about exhumation and reburial in African communities. It had been observed that the issue of exhumation and reburial of loved ones has been dealt with in a haphazard fashion. The concepts of death and burial are revered in traditional African societies. These two concepts are accompanied by relevant rituals. After death has befallen a family, the period of mourning begins, which could last up to a year. After the funeral, there are also a number of rituals that would follow. All these values strike at the core of the very existence of the African Society. The purpose of this study is to inform policy formulation on heritage conservation and management in the province. The legislative framework in South Africa does make provision for restoration of human dignity. The Constitution makes provision for everyone to practise one's cultural life. However, both the National Heritage Resources Act (1999) and the Eastern Cape Heritage Resources Act (2003) deal with burial grounds and graves of victims of conflict, but hardly discuss issues of exhumation and reburial, hence the reasons for writing this book.