Source: HISTORIC FEAT! . . President receives Zim bird from SA – herald
Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
THE Second Republic will continue efforts to ensure the country’s rich heritage is no longer held hostage in foreign museums, public spaces and private galleries any more, President Mnangagwa has said.
Speaking at a ceremony, where he received the eighth Zimbabwe Bird and ancestral human remains repatriated from South Africa and presented by that country’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie at State House in Harare yesterday, the President said the return was timely as Zimbabwe prepares to mark its 46th Independence anniversary on Saturday.
He said the repatriation marks a landmark moment that will be permanently recorded in the country’s history.
“Profound joy and triumphant closure envelope the nation as we welcome home our ancestral relics consisting of the Chapungu, being the eighth and last soapstone great Zimbabwe Bird,” President Mnangagwa said.
“For far too long, this vital piece of our national soul and dignity resided in a foreign land, a salient testament to the colonial plunder that sought to strip us of our identity.
“Our calls for justice have echoed through generations and today, the answer has come.”
President Mnangagwa said relics such as the Zimbabwe Bird were sacred and represented the bateleur eagle, Chapungu, which had deep spiritual significance.
The Zimbabwe Bird stands as the defining emblem of independent Zimbabwe.
It is featured prominently across the nation’s official insignia and State branding, appearing on national flags, coat of arms, currency, passports and identity documents.
“Our forebears did not merely carve these birds as decorations. They are the physical embodiments of the various spiritual beliefs within our communities.
“The Zimbabwe Bird is a central symbol that adorns our flag, coat of arms and ZiG currency. To have all eight bird artefacts reunited is a political victory and cultural homecoming.
“It is a powerful recognition that our heritage belongs here, at the Great Zimbabwe, Dzimba-dzemabwe, where it can inspire future generations and serve as a cornerstone of our national identity,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said Zimbabwe’s demand for the return of the Zimbabwe Bird was never an isolated plea but echoed the broader call for the repatriation of stolen art and artefacts across Africa.
Africa, added the President, must continue to reunite with that which belongs to it.
The eighth soapstone was taken about 135 years ago and sold to Cecil John Rhodes for £80 by a fortune hunter and then kept as a trophy of conquest.
“We, therefore, recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight for the return of all our artefacts and addressing historical injustices, including those experienced under colonialism and apartheid.
“I exhort the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe to ensure that the sacred bird artefacts are appropriately conserved and protected at the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, the site of their origin and heart of our country’s ancient civilisation under the Munhumutapa Empire.
“Let the people of Zimbabwe come and witness their heritage. Let the children of this great nation see with their own eyes the symbol of their identity.
“And let the world know that Zimbabwe is a nation that respects its past and celebrates the present as we build a prosperous future in unity, peace and dignity,” he said.
President Mnangagwa expressed gratitude to his “dear brother”, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, for the assistance, saying their cooperation in the repatriation of the Zimbabwe Bird demonstrates the power of Pan-African solidarity, revolutionary unity and a shared commitment to justice and restitution.
“On behalf of our revolutionary mass party, ZANU PF, the Government and people of Zimbabwe, I extend our nation’s profound gratitude to my dear brother His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, the African National Congress (ANC), as well as the government and people of the Republic of South Africa for their noble assistance,” he said.
The President implored Zimbabweans to never forget the manner in which the country’s sacred treasures were usurped and expropriated.
“In the late 19th century, European colonisers descended upon the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe, a testament to our ancestors’ ingenuity, and systematically looted these eight soapstone birds.
“They were ripped from their pedestals and scattered across the globe. In 1981, following our hard-won independence, four of the birds were returned from South Africa. In 2003, we received a portion of another bird from Germany as part of our effort to restore Zimbabwe’s cultural identity.
“Yet, the eighth bird remained: it sat in the former house of Cecil John Rhodes in Cape Town, a haunting reminder of the colonial exploitation that led to its removal,” said President Mnangagwa.
Minister Mackenzie conveyed warm greetings to President Mnangagwa from President Ramaphosa.
He recalled how President Ramaphosa had given him a clear instruction: “Before Independence (Day), I want my brother (President Mnangagwa) to smile”.
“Earlier this year, President Ramaphosa issued a clear instruction (to) find a way within the law and do it (the repatriation) immediately.
“Eighteen days later, this agreement was signed between Iziko Museums of South Africa and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe.
“The speed of that response was itself a message that when African governments decide cultural justice is urgent, (it) indeed becomes urgent,” said the South African Minister.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe said the return of the artefacts and ancestral remains was “healing” for Zimbabwe.
Chief Ngungubane, speaking on behalf of the president of the Chief’s Council, Chief Mtshane Khumalo, proposed that the return of looted artefacts and remains be accompanied by compensation to cover the costs and damages caused by colonialism.
The ceremony was attended by Vice Presidents Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Dr Kembo Mohadi, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya, Cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other senior Government officials.
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