President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on the British government to return the remains of Zimbabwe’s Chimurenga war heroes for a proper and dignified burial.
The remains of several prominent figures from the First Chimurenga, including Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, and other leaders like Chiefs Makoni Chingaira, Mapondera, and Chinengundu Mashayamombe, are among those being sought. These individuals, who led uprisings against colonial rule, are believed to have had their remains taken to Britain as war trophies, where they are currently kept for research purposes.
In 2022, institutions such as the Natural History Museum in London and Cambridge University expressed their readiness to cooperate with Zimbabwe in returning these human remains.
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Speaking at the funeral of national hero Jaison William Chezhira Chakaipa Chirinda on Monday, Mnangagwa emphasized that the spirits of these 19th-century anti-colonial heroes will not find peace until their remains are returned and reburied in Zimbabwe. He stated:
“We remind the British Government and people that the spirits of our heroes will not rest until their remains are repatriated and interred in a dignified manner.”
Mnangagwa also renewed his call for the British government to take responsibility for the historical injustices of colonial rule, which, he said, led to the dispossession of land and the abuse of the indigenous people. Last week, he demanded an apology from the UK government for over a century of colonial exploitation and called for reparations for the harm caused to Zimbabwe during the colonial era, which lasted from 1890 to 1980.