South Africa Returns Stolen Zimbabwean Artifacts and Human Remains

In a powerful gesture ahead of Independence Day, South Africa will return Zimbabwe’s last remaining soapstone bird and ancestral human remains, closing a chapter that began with the artefact’s theft more than a century ago during the colonial period. The items will be handed over in a symbolic ceremony.

Carved from soapstone and originating from Great Zimbabwe, the bird stands as a defining national emblem of identity and pride. Minister Gayton McKenzie said the move follows a directive from President Cyril Ramaphosa, framing the repatriation as an act of restoring heritage and dignity. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town.