Khoisan family fights to make Castle of Good Hope their permanent ancestral home

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Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandWanga Kape and her daughter Sibahle rebuilding their hut after a forced eviction. Story audio is generated using AI

A family who identify as descendants of oNoqhakancu (Khoisan) is fighting to turn one of Cape Town’s most recognisable colonial-era landmarks, the Castle of Good Hope, into a permanent home where they can preserve their ancestral heritage, practise their traditions and pass their cultural identity on to future generations.

But their quest to reclaim a space for their heritage at the centuries-old fortress has sparked a bitter dispute with the castle’s management, which is seeking to overturn a court order allowing the family to remain on the premises after their traditional hut was demolished during an alleged forced eviction.

Wanga Shixuqiquqa Kape and her family, who identify as descendants of oNoqhakancu, say their traditional hut at the castle is more than a shelter, it is a space where they share their history, culture and traditions with tourists while keeping their ancestral identity alive.

When Sunday Times visited the Castle, Kape was having lunch with her children, dressed in cream-white traditional clothing and boots.

Wanga Kape and her daughter Sibahle rebuilding their hut after it was demolished. The family was rebuilding their traditional hut made from wooden planks and grass after it was demolished during an alleged forced eviction about two weeks ago.

Kape said the family, two adults and three children, had previously lived in mountainous areas, including Table Mountain, before coming to the castle earlier this year.

“We used to stay at Table Mountain. In January, we asked for permission to build our Bushman hut here, and we were told to submit a proposal,” she said.

According to Kape, the family wanted to establish a cultural exhibition where visitors could learn about their ancestral lineage and traditions. She said their proposal was eventually approved in June after months of negotiations.

However, what began as an opportunity to share their culture soon turned into a dispute over their continued presence at the historic site.

We were even told that we are not South Africans and that we don’t look like oNoqhakancu. They accused us of coming here to steal the land and lying to tourists

Kape alleged that tensions began when the family was asked to pay R500 for grass-cutting services around their hut, an amount she said they could not afford because they survived on donations.

“We survive on donations, and I told them we could not afford that amount. They then started coming to tell us to move our hut because the cleaners could not do their work,” she said.

She claimed the family was subsequently subjected to insults and accusations that they were misrepresenting their Khoisan identity.

“We were even told that we are not South Africans and that we don’t look like oNoqhakancu. They accused us of coming here to steal the land and lying to tourists,” she said.

The dispute escalated when Kape and her children returned from an outing at Camps Bay to find the castle’s entrance locked. They were allegedly refused entry and told they were trespassing.

Kape said their hut was demolished and some of their belongings went missing.

“We had been staying here for two months without any hassles. But on that day, they demolished our home. We lost our belongings. We were threatened with guns as if we were terrorists,” she said.

The family subsequently approached the courts with assistance from public-interest law organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi and obtained a spoliation order directing the castle to restore their possession of the premises.

The magistrate’s court ordered the castle to return their belongings, provide access to the room they had previously occupied and allow them to reconstruct their traditional hut without interference.

However, the order did not determine whether the family had a permanent right to live at the castle.

Castle Control Board CEO Calvyn Gilfellan has indicated that the board intends to challenge the magistrate’s court ruling next Tuesday. He then requested an interview after the court ruling.

For Kape, the dispute has become a battle for recognition of her family’s identity and their right to preserve it.

“This is our heritage. They are not just shutting us down, but shutting down the heritage of South Africa,” she said.

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