BY MASIMBA MAVAZA.
London, England. (News of The South) – Zimbabwean deputy minister of Defence who is the National Political Commissar Honourable Victor Matemadanda has fumed over the remains of Mbuya Nehanda which are being kept at the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom.
Matemadanda was speaking as he addressed the Diaspora in England on the Eve of the 40th anniversary of our independence. Zimbabweans should be ashamed by the reality that our heroes bones are still in the wilderness and displayed for all to see.” Said Matemadanda.
“It is so angering and indeed painful that 40 years after independence the bones of our heroes are still displayed as trophy in a museum of our colonisers”.
THE remains of Mbuya Nehanda, a heroine of the resistance against white colonial rule who will always be remembered for her last words: “Mapfupa angu achamuka” (My bones will rise) and Sekuru Kaguvi, together with 25 other skulls of First Chimurenga fighters, are yet to be returned to Zimbabwe. Their bones were taken by the settlers to the United Kingdom where they were presented as war trophies.
A technical team from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) was meant to go to the UK to finalise the repatriation of the remains but the trip was Disrupted by the Coronavirus outbreak.
Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi were hanged by British invading forces at the height of the country’s first war of resistance against white settlers in the 1890s, their remains have been on display at the Westminster Abbey and the National History museums in London until former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe began to question why anyone in their normal senses would keep someone’s remains, the British then removed the skulls from public display.
Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana also known as Mbuya Nehanda (c. 1840–1898) was a svikiro, or spirit medium of the Zezuru Shona people. She was a medium of Nehanda, a female Shona mhondoro.(powerful and respected ancestral spirit) As one of the spiritual leaders of the Shona, she was one of the leaders of a revolt, the Chimurenga, against the British South Africa Company’s colonisation of Zimbabwe led by Cecil John Rhodes in 1889. She was a MuHera of the Hwata Mufakose Dynasty. Together Mbuya Nehanda and, Sekuru Kaguvi were eventually captured and executed by the British.She has been commemorated by Zimbabweans through the building of statues in her name, street names, hospitals, songs, novels, and poems.The legacy of the medium continued to be linked to the theme of resistance, particularly the guerrilla war that led to independence. Her name became of increasing importance to the nationalist movements in Zimbabwe. She became a leading and protective force behind the war.
Cde Matemadanda said he will liaise with Dr Mahachi and the relevant department in Zimbabwe to find out the problem.
ZIMBABWEANS living in United Kingdom, led by Princess of Harare, Princess Eugene Majuru had started an initiative to repatriate the remains of First Chimurenga spirit medium Mbuya Nehanda’s remains from the former colonial master.
According to organisers, the process started with a repatriation conference, in July 27, 2018 in the UK city of Leicester, hoping to pave way for negotiations with London to bring back Nehanda’s remains.
In an interview with newzimbabwe.com, last year one of the organisers of the repatriation conference, Eugene Majuru, said the event was expected to find ways of raising awareness on the importance of bringing back remains of First Chimurenga luminaries including Mbuya Nehanda as well as the ‘sacred talking staff’ which the British impounded at the height of colonialism.
“We are working very hard to make sure that these remains are repatriated to Zimbabwe and also raise awareness of the Zimbabwean history, culture, tradition and norms.” Majuru said.
The authorities back in Zimbabwe have made promises but no meaningful movement has been noticed. There is no funding put aside by the government to complete the task.
Zimbabwe can not fail to repatriate these bones. Forty years after independence.
Comrade Matemadanda expressed shock and disbelief that the bones are still going a humiliation of being displayed in a museum.
He applauded Princess Eugene Majuru for her efforts. “The spirit of Mbuya Nehanda will never rest until she is given a decent burial in her land. During the war Mbuya Nehanda was the counsellor the protector the comforter. Her spirit guided us warned us and indeed directed us until we got the country.” Matemadanda said. “We should be ashamed that our heroes are still held captive even in death.” He urged every straight thinking Zimbabwean to work towards the repatriation of Mbuya Nehanda.
Mbuya Nehanda was not for an individual party she was for the whole country. As long as you are Zimbabwean you have a duty to add your push for the return of Mbuya Nehanda and all the ancestors. Their spirits are hoovering in the foreign land.
It is understood Mbuya Nehanda’s bones were taken to the UK in a sack and displayed in a museum as a trophy.
“There are certain guidelines which need to be followed to repatriate the remains, for instance, to confirm their Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) if indeed they are of African ancestry,” said a source.
Addressing members of the press at the ZANU PF headquarters recently, Colgan Zendera, the reigning Chief Makoni, said plans to repatriate the remains of the 27 heroes and heroines of the First Chimurenga were at an advanced stage.
“After thorough research, we found out that there are about 27 heads that were taken and gifted to the British crown as war medals,” said Chief Makoni.
“Many people might just think the skulls are not important but they are very important, and the white settlers knew that if they took just the heads, then they would have disconnected the link between the body and the head and the person will not become a spirit medium.”
In August 2015, the British Government acknowledged holding the remains of the heroes and heroines of the First Chimurenga. However, it has been reluctant to release them.
That same year the Zimbabwean Government assembled a team of experts to go on a similar mission, but it was aborted and no reasons were given.
Is it because of Britain’s long-standing policy not to relinquish ownership over its looted treasures?
The British Museum has around 20 000 items in its human remains section, mainly taken from Africa as ‘war trophies’ after massacres and suppression of indigenous populations’ uprisings.
And in 2017, after being pressured by Zimbabwe, the Natural History Museum of London submitted a report on its findings in relation to the identities of human remains of slain heroes and heroines of the First Chimurenga.
Several skulls at the London Museum were positively identified as having originated from Zimbabwe.

The human remains include skulls of Chief Mashayamombe Chinengundu of Mhondoro, Chief Chingaira Makoni of Rusape, Chief Kadungure Mapondera, Chief Mutekedza Chiwashira and Chief Mashonganyika, among others.
Chief Chinengundu Mashayamombe was killed in action in 1897 and his head was decapitated in order to be presented to the Queen, it is believed.
His body was paraded at impromptu victory parties that were thrown by Rhodesians.
Another gallant son of the soil, Chief Chingaira Makoni, was killed by a firing squad and his head was also decapitated and taken to Westminster Abbey in London.
As Zimbabwe celebrates its 40th anniversary the bones of Mbuya Nehanda and all our ancestors are screaming from the alter.
Tawanda Chinamhora of Luton said “Zimbabwe will never enjoy full independence without its hero’s home.”
Zimbabwe needs to pile more pressure on the United Kingdom to release the bones. It is Mbuya Nehanda we are talking about.
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