A historic moment: South Africa has today handed over the Zimbabwe Soapstone Bird and ancestral remains to Zimbabwe in Cape Town.

by Richard Mudariki

Dr Bongani Ndhlovu, Acting CEO of Iziko Museums of South Africa, formally handed over the Zimbabwe Bird and ancestral remains to Dr Paul Mupira of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe.

At Groote Schuur in 2014

For me, this is especially meaningful. I wrote and advocated for the return of the Zimbabwe Bird in an article in 2014, and I remember visiting Groote Schuur to see the bird in person. To witness its return today is both deeply satisfying and rewarding.

The Zimbabwe Bird is far more than an artefact. It is a powerful national symbol and an important part of Zimbabwe’s history, identity and heritage. Its return, together with the return of ancestral remains, is a significant act of justice, dignity and historical restoration ahead of Zimbabwe’s Independence Day celebrations..