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Krotoa Building, Stellenbosch University: The Renaming
The building that houses the department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University – Krotoa – was renamed in 2021, following discussions between members of the university’s Executive Committee of Council since 2019. Prior to the official renaming on 16 August 2021, the building was named after Professor Raymond William Wilcocks, rector of Stellenbosch University (1935-1954) and psychologist who supervised countless psychometric tests that were consequently used to justify racial segregation and discriminatory legislation during the Apartheid regime. Staff and students of Stellenbosch University have controversial perceptions of the legacy of R. W. Wilcocks, given the active role he played in enforcing race-based policies during Apartheid. Thus, in order to promote a shared history and to foster an environment in which diverse stories can be told, Executive Committee members were implored to change the building name to one that is welcoming to all.

The building was renamed after Krotoa, a woman of the Khoe people, who was taken in by Jan van Riebeeck in 1654 following his landing at the Cape to establish a settlement for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Krotoa worked as a servant to van Riebeeck’s wife and was renamed as “Eva” followed by her baptism and conversion to Christianity at the Cape, being the first indigenous person to do so. This is a clear example of acculturation, an assimilation to a different, more dominant, culture to which the Dutch favoured. In addition to her eager response to Christian instruction, Krotoa began wearing European clothing and mastered both Dutch and Portuguese as a result of living with the van Riebeecks. Subsequently, Krotoa became a respected individual and was soon treated on an equal footing with the Dutch administrative personnel, due to her valued linguistic and interpretive skills. The VOC’s favour towards total cultural assimilation of the indigenous people was evidenced in the generous dowry provided to Krotoa for her marriage to Danish soldier and explorer, Pieter van Meerhof – once again, being the first native to marry a European. The process of acculturation continued for centuries, even within a European context where similarly, the Negro of Antilles was considered to be coming closer to being a real human being – in direct ratio of his mastery of the French language.

Despite her subjectification to acculturation, Krotoa served as an interpreter and interlocutor between the indigenous people and the VOC. Dr Ronel Retief, Registrar of Stellenbosch University and chair of the Naming Committee, stated that the symbolism of naming a building after Krotoa represents a bridge building: parallel to Krotoa serving as an interpreter between different cultural and language groups, conversations regarding multilingualism and inclusivity take place within the very building on the Stellenbosch campus. The naming of a prominent building on campus after Krotoa draws significance to the university’s support of and initiatives to introduce and include indigenous language-related courses as part of their curriculum.

Additionally, Stellenbosch University has honoured the diversity of women in South Africa’s history by renaming the building after Krotoa, as few buildings on the campus have been named after women and specifically, Black women. This parallels Fanon’s lack of acknowledgement of the multidimensionality of the Black woman’s lived experience. Fanon focuses largely on the Black man’s liberation and resistance from racial oppression while simultaneously neglecting the racist and sexist forms of oppression the Black woman faces. An example of the intersectional oppression experienced by the Black woman was the Dutch romanticisation of the conquest of the indigenous women, in which European superiority was rationalised by the supposed primitive and debased nature of Black women’s bodies. The reduction of the Black woman to a primeval being reflects Fanon’s frequent use of the word “species” as an illustration of how colonisers used to dehumanise the colonised. Further, this echoes Fanon’s discussions on the power relations between White and Black people; where “whiteness” is associated with superiority and white approval is strove for. European superiority was also demonstrated in the White men’s fetishisms of the Black woman, which is something that Fanon neglects to discuss in Chapter 2 of Black Skin, White Masks: Fanon implies that the woman of colour chooses her own oppression by desiring a romantic relationship with a White man in order to become Whiter. However, he disregards the commonality of Black women falling prey to the fetishisms of White men which is a prominent consideration for Krotoa’s marriage to a White man and successful assimilation into Dutch culture.

Thus, paying tribute to an under-represented group of people indigenous to the Western Cape is a notable step in Stellenbosch University’s commitment to an intersectional approach of transformation, redressing and representation of its diverse campus. A Fanonian lens, though somewhat radical, may be beneficial in the challenging of anti-Blackness and necessary in the striving towards anti-racism at Stellenbosch University, given the institution’s oppressive past and tendencies that continue to perpetuate violence and exclusion of minority racial and ethnic groups.