News / National
UK agrees to return remains of Nehanda, Kaguvi
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British authorities have granted Zimbabwe permission to repatriate the remains of First Umvukela war heroes, taken to Europe during the colonial era as war trophies. The decision marks a significant step in Zimbabwe's decades-long quest to restore the dignity of its early liberation icons.
The Government has begun preliminary preparations for the return of the remains, which include those of revered figures such as Nehanda, Kaguvi, Chief Chinengundu Mashayamombe, and Chief Chingaira Makoni - leaders of the 1890s resistance against British colonial rule.
An inter-ministerial committee has been formed to oversee the repatriation process. The team includes representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; and Local Government and Public Works. Its mandate includes coordinating the return, mobilising resources, and consulting key stakeholders, including traditional leaders and descendants of the fallen heroes.
The committee recently held a high-level meeting with traditional leaders and family representatives to agree on cultural protocols and funding mechanisms. At the same time, plans are underway to construct a state-of-the-art storage facility to house the remains upon their arrival, ensuring proper preservation and long-term conservation.
11 Remains Confirmed in the UK
To date, at least 11 sets of human remains have been identified at the Natural History Museum in London. Two more are reportedly held at the Duckworth Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, while another set has been traced to an institution in Switzerland. The British museum has agreed to return the remains in its possession.
New information also points to a possible set of remains housed in South Africa, believed to belong to another early Umvukela fighter. Authorities are working to verify the identity as part of a wider regional campaign to retrieve all remains of Zimbabwean liberation heroes.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi, confirmed the process has officially entered its initial phase.
"We have started the first phase of the process, which we hope will be done in the shortest time possible," said Ambassador Faranisi.
"Recently, we met to discuss resource mobilisation and the construction of a storage facility that will help preserve the remains once repatriated. There will also be a formal programme for the repatriation, which will be presented to the relevant authorities for approval."
He added: "We have consulted with traditional leaders and descendants to ensure the process respects cultural and historical sensitivities."
A senior official from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ), speaking anonymously, confirmed that formal repatriations can now begin.
"We met two weeks ago with representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Local Government. The meeting was also attended by traditional leaders and descendants of the war heroes," the official said.
"We have now received confirmation from the UK museums that we may take back the remains. The next stage involves finalising the budget and timeline for the repatriation process."
The remains being returned were looted during the early colonial period, following the brutal suppression of the First Umvukela. Many resistance leaders were executed and beheaded, with their skulls sent to Europe as trophies or subjects of racial and anthropological study.
For Zimbabwe, the remains have long been seen as a painful symbol of colonial injustice and cultural desecration. Successive governments have made calls for their return, but progress had stalled until now.
In 2019, the Natural History Museum submitted a detailed archival report to Zimbabwean authorities, tracing the origins of several remains using colonial-era records from Britain and South Africa. The report confirmed links between the skulls and known resistance figures.
Zimbabwe's campaign is part of a broader continental push to reclaim stolen cultural heritage and human remains. In 2018, Namibia successfully repatriated skulls of Herero and Nama victims from German institutions, over a century after the 1904–1908 genocide.
More recently, in 2024, the UK returned 32 looted Asante treasures to Ghana under a six-year loan deal with the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
For Zimbabwe, the return of the Umvukela heroes' remains is both a spiritual and political milestone - restoring honour to those who laid the foundation for the country's liberation.
As the nation marks Heroes Day tomorrow, the impending return serves as a poignant reminder of a history interrupted, and now, slowly, being reclaimed.
The Government has begun preliminary preparations for the return of the remains, which include those of revered figures such as Nehanda, Kaguvi, Chief Chinengundu Mashayamombe, and Chief Chingaira Makoni - leaders of the 1890s resistance against British colonial rule.
An inter-ministerial committee has been formed to oversee the repatriation process. The team includes representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; and Local Government and Public Works. Its mandate includes coordinating the return, mobilising resources, and consulting key stakeholders, including traditional leaders and descendants of the fallen heroes.
The committee recently held a high-level meeting with traditional leaders and family representatives to agree on cultural protocols and funding mechanisms. At the same time, plans are underway to construct a state-of-the-art storage facility to house the remains upon their arrival, ensuring proper preservation and long-term conservation.
11 Remains Confirmed in the UK
To date, at least 11 sets of human remains have been identified at the Natural History Museum in London. Two more are reportedly held at the Duckworth Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, while another set has been traced to an institution in Switzerland. The British museum has agreed to return the remains in its possession.
New information also points to a possible set of remains housed in South Africa, believed to belong to another early Umvukela fighter. Authorities are working to verify the identity as part of a wider regional campaign to retrieve all remains of Zimbabwean liberation heroes.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi, confirmed the process has officially entered its initial phase.
"We have started the first phase of the process, which we hope will be done in the shortest time possible," said Ambassador Faranisi.
"Recently, we met to discuss resource mobilisation and the construction of a storage facility that will help preserve the remains once repatriated. There will also be a formal programme for the repatriation, which will be presented to the relevant authorities for approval."
A senior official from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ), speaking anonymously, confirmed that formal repatriations can now begin.
"We met two weeks ago with representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Local Government. The meeting was also attended by traditional leaders and descendants of the war heroes," the official said.
"We have now received confirmation from the UK museums that we may take back the remains. The next stage involves finalising the budget and timeline for the repatriation process."
The remains being returned were looted during the early colonial period, following the brutal suppression of the First Umvukela. Many resistance leaders were executed and beheaded, with their skulls sent to Europe as trophies or subjects of racial and anthropological study.
For Zimbabwe, the remains have long been seen as a painful symbol of colonial injustice and cultural desecration. Successive governments have made calls for their return, but progress had stalled until now.
In 2019, the Natural History Museum submitted a detailed archival report to Zimbabwean authorities, tracing the origins of several remains using colonial-era records from Britain and South Africa. The report confirmed links between the skulls and known resistance figures.
Zimbabwe's campaign is part of a broader continental push to reclaim stolen cultural heritage and human remains. In 2018, Namibia successfully repatriated skulls of Herero and Nama victims from German institutions, over a century after the 1904–1908 genocide.
More recently, in 2024, the UK returned 32 looted Asante treasures to Ghana under a six-year loan deal with the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
For Zimbabwe, the return of the Umvukela heroes' remains is both a spiritual and political milestone - restoring honour to those who laid the foundation for the country's liberation.
As the nation marks Heroes Day tomorrow, the impending return serves as a poignant reminder of a history interrupted, and now, slowly, being reclaimed.
Source - Sunday Mail
