Descendants demand return of Chimurenga heroes' skulls from Britain

The descendants of Zimbabwe's resistance heroes have renewed calls for justice, urging British institutions to help locate and repatriate the skulls of ancestors executed and beheaded during the First Chimurenga uprising of the 1890s.

These freedom fighters bravely resisted British colonial rule, defending land, culture, and sovereignty. After their executions, their remains were taken to Britain as trophies. Descendants believe that some skulls are held in collections at the Natural History Museum and the University of Cambridge.

Eight descendants have formally appealed to the institutions to work with them in locating six ancestral skulls believed to be among the looted remains. They have offered DNA samples to aid identification, emphasising a commitment to uncover the truth and bring their ancestors home.

British institutions previously stated in 2022 that they had not identified any Chimurenga fighters' remains in their collections, a claim met with disappointment and disbelief by Zimbabwean families.

In letters sent this month, the families called for a joint taskforce of Zimbabwean and British experts to examine museum collections and historical archives collaboratively.

"This is not only about the past," the descendants wrote. "It is about whether institutions today are willing to confront colonial violence honestly and repair its enduring harms. Until the remains of our ancestors are accounted for and returned, the suffering continues."

Among the descendants seeking answers is Cogen Simbayi Gwasira, the current Chief Makoni and descendant of Chief Chingaira Makoni. Chief Chingaira Makoni resisted the British South Africa Company during the battles of Gwindingwi in 1896 before being captured, executed, and beheaded, with his skull believed to have been taken to England.

Chief Gwasira said, "We are greatly aggrieved as the descendants of those ancestors for the dehumanisation that took place during that period. The British, especially the museums in England, must be honest and return what they took."

For many Zimbabweans, the matter is spiritual as well as historical. In Shona tradition, ancestral spirits, known as vadzimu, connect communities to Mwari, God. Without the proper return and burial of these heroes, that sacred connection remains broken.

"Our ancestors who carried the responsibility of taking our prayers and grievances to the Lord were killed and their heads taken. Until they return to us, we continue to suffer," Chief Makoni said.

The First Chimurenga also saw the execution of revered spirit mediums Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi in 1898 for inspiring resistance against colonial rule.

Investigations reveal that institutions across the United Kingdom hold at least 11,856 human remains from Africa, with Cambridge holding over 6,000 and the Natural History Museum more than 3,000, intensifying calls for restitution.

Former President Robert Mugabe demanded the return of Chimurenga skulls more than a decade ago. While the Natural History Museum announced in 2022 plans to repatriate Zimbabwean human remains, advocates say little tangible progress has been made.

Zimbabwean museum experts argue that British research may not have thoroughly identified the Chimurenga heroes' remains.

For Zimbabwe, the return of these skulls represents dignity, historical truth, and restoration. The First Chimurenga heroes sacrificed their lives defending their homeland, and their spirits remain deeply honoured in the nation's collective memory.

Now, their descendants—and the nation—are demanding justice: the repatriation of their ancestors so they may finally rest in the soil they fought to protect.