Zimbabwe Descendants Demand Return of Looted Skulls from UK Museums
Descendants of freedom fighters executed and beheaded by British colonial forces in southern Africa during the 1890s have issued a formal plea to the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Cambridge. They are urging these institutions to assist in locating the looted skulls of their ancestors, who led the first chimurenga uprising against British colonisers.
Call for Collaboration and DNA Testing
Eight descendants have specifically requested collaboration to find six of their ancestors' remains, offering to provide DNA samples to aid in the research. This appeal follows longstanding beliefs that the museum and university hold several of these skulls, though both institutions stated in 2022 that they had not identified any remains as belonging to the colonial resistance fighters. This declaration has sparked dismay and disbelief among the descendants and Zimbabwean officials.
In letters sent this month, the descendants proposed establishing a taskforce of experts from Zimbabwe and the UK to examine contested remains and archives. They argue that this is essential to resolve questions over the skulls' provenance. "This is not only about the past," the letters state. "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."
Historical Context and Spiritual Significance
One signatory is a descendant of Chief Chingaira Makoni, who opposed British settlers seizing land for farming and mining in what is now Manicaland province in north-eastern Zimbabwe. After battles with Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company in 1896, Makoni was captured, executed by firing squad, and beheaded. His skull is believed to be among those taken to England.
Cogen Simbayi Gwasira, the current Chief Makoni, expressed deep grievance over the dehumanisation of that period. "We feel that the British, and especially the museums in England, should be honest and return those things that they took," he said. "If those remains are not part of us, the notion of subjugation remains in our minds. Because we feel if we are united with our ancestors, then that chapter of colonialism is closed."
Gwasira highlighted the spiritual impact, noting that in Shona tradition, ancestral spirits (vadzimu) serve as conduits for prayers to God (Mwari). "Some of our very important ancestors who held the traditional responsibility for taking our grievances to the Lord were killed, murdered, their heads were taken," he explained. "We are suffering because until those ancestors return to us then we have no access to the Lord."
UK Holdings and International Comparisons
A Guardian investigation revealed that UK universities, museums, and councils hold at least 11,856 items of human remains from Africa. The University of Cambridge has the largest collection with at least 6,223 items, while the Natural History Museum holds at least 3,375, making it the second-largest.
Dr Rudo Sithole, a former executive director of the International Council of African Museums, criticised the lack of research by UK institutions. She noted that Zimbabwean experts doubt whether sufficient efforts have been made to identify the chimurenga heroes' skulls. "Because people long believed that all the chimurenga heroes' remains were in the UK, we are now very worried that not even a single one has been acknowledged to be there," she said.
Sithole also pointed out that the UK lags behind other European countries like France and Germany, which have funded research into the provenance of human remains from their former African colonies.
Repatriation Efforts and Delays
Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe demanded the return of these skulls a decade ago. In November 2022, the Natural History Museum's trustees formally decided to repatriate all Zimbabwean human remains. However, the all-party parliamentary group for Afrikan reparations reported in a recent letter to culture secretary Lisa Nandy that "no discernible progress has been made in the three years since that decision."
A spokesperson for the Natural History Museum stated that it is committed to repatriating the 11 individuals from Zimbabwe in its collections and is awaiting confirmation from the Zimbabwean government on next steps. "After extensive research we found no evidence to suggest that the remains are those of named individuals or are associated with particular historical episodes," they said. "There are no other known or suspected ancestral remains from Zimbabwe held at the museum."
A 2024 report indicated that Cambridge's governing council approved a claim to repatriate the remains of the only Zimbabwean individual identified in its African collections, but the university is awaiting a response from the Zimbabwe government. The DCMS and the University of Cambridge declined to comment further.
