KEY POINTS
- Mnangagwa demands return of colonial war heroes’ remains.
- Calls for reparations, apology from Britain for colonial injustices.
- Reiterates commitment to compensating former white farmers.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on Britain to repatriate the remains of Zimbabwe’s anti-colonial heroes, which were taken as war trophies and currently reside in British museums.
Delivering a Speech at a funeral of the National Hero Jaison Chirinda, Mnangagwa continued to endorse the honorable return home of the remains of some of the icons such as Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, Chief Chingaira Makoni, Chief Mapondera, and Chief Chinengundu Mashayamombe.
Zimbabwe’s call for recognition and repatriation
Mnangagwa underlined that unless the remains of these warriors are returned to Zimbabwean territory, their souls cannot rest.
“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,” he stated.
The appeal follows prior negotiations with British institutions, including the Natural History Museum and Cambridge University, which in 2022 expressed willingness to cooperate in returning the remains.
Mnangagwa’s latest plea is part of a broader call for justice and reparation for colonial-era wrongs, as Zimbabwe pushes for an official apology and reparations from Britain.
Seeking reparations and an apology
Last week, Mnangagwa launched a study by the Zimbabwe National Elders Forum titled Land Displacements: The Untold Stories of Crimes, Injustices, Trauma, and Losses Experienced by Indigenous Zimbabweans During the Colonial Era (1890 to 1980).
The study aims to document the hardships faced by Zimbabweans under colonial rule, creating a case for reparations. “We demand an apology and reparations from the British Government,” Mnangagwa stated, commending the elders’ work to highlight untold colonial injustices.
According to New Zimbabwe, he also assured Zimbabweans of his administration’s continued commitment to compensate former white farmers for improvements made to lands reclaimed during the country’s land reform program.
Mnangagwa added, “We call upon the British government, whose predecessor governments were responsible for pillaging and brutalizing us, to take responsibility and not remain indifferent to the cries of Zimbabweans for justice.”
Aligning justice with national reconciliation
Beside repatriation and reparies, Mnangagwa highlighted the importance of preserving national pride and acknowledging the legacy of anti-colonial heroes.
He said his government remains fully engaged in addressing the pre and post- colonial social justice question in Zimbabwe, but it has demanded a type of justice that would promote healing and reconciliation.
