Zimbabwe’s National Heroes Artifacts Repatriation Drive

Wɔatwerɛ nsɛm wei wɔ Asante Twi mu

Mfeɛ kakra a atwam ni no, Zimbabwe ayɛ nhyehyɛeɛ sɛ wɔbɛsan agye amammerɛ mu nnoɔma, wɔn nananom a wɔtenaa ase tete no nnompe, ne wɔn ankasa agyapadeɛ a wɔde kyeree ɔman no mu nnipa atitire ne wɔn a wɔko tiaa Britain nnisoɔ no. Nhyehyɛeɛ yi a wɔfrɛ no National Heroes Artifacts Repatriation Drive no yɛ Zimbabwe amammerɛ akyi nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛseɛ a wɔde bɛsan de abakɔsɛm mu atɛntenenee aba, na wɔama ɔman no ahoɔfɛ adi mu, na wɔahyɛ wɔn a wɔko tia amammerɛ akyi ahofadi no animuonyam. Zimbabwe amammerɛ mu mpanimfoɔ ne wɔn a wɔhwɛ tete amammerɛ so ne amanaman ntam agyapadeɛ ho ahyehyɛdeɛ na ɛhwɛ saa ɔsatu yi so^[1].

Nkorɔfoɔ a na Wɔhyɛ Aman no Ase a Wɔsɛe Nnoɔma

Berɛ a British South Afrika Company dii Zimbabwe (a na wɔfrɛ no Southern Rhodesia saa bere no) so nkonim wɔ afeha a ɛto so 19 awieeɛ ne afeha a ɛto so 20 mfitiaseɛ mu no, Britain asraafo faa amammerɛ agyapade pii. Yeinom yɛ nnoɔma kronkron, akodeɛ, nyamesom mu nnoɔma, ne ɔman no mu akannifoɔ a wɔko tia ɔman no, titire honhom mu akannifoɔ te sɛ Mbuya Nehanda ne Sekuru Kaguvi, a wodii kan dii Chimurenga Ahomasoɔ a edii kan wɔ afe 1896 ne 1897 mu a na wɔko tia amammerɛ no anim^[2].

Wɔde saa nneɛma yi pii kɔɔ mmeae bi wɔ Britain, a nea ɛka ho ne Natural History Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, ne British Museum, a wɔde yɛɛ nnipa ho nneɛma a wɔda no adi ne nyansahunu mu nhwehwɛmu. Wɔkyerɛ sɛ wɔsomaa Nehanda ne Kaguvi ti kɔnkora ne nnoɔma a wɔde yɛɛ wɔn no kɔɔ UK wɔ wɔn a wɔkum wɔn wɔ afe 1898 akyi, ɛwom sɛ wɔnnya nhunui baabi pɔtee a wɔhyehyɛɛ wɔn no ^[3].

Nhyehyɛeɛ a Ɔman no Ayɛ

Wɔhwɛ sɛ wɔde nnipa a wɔresan aba wɔn man mu no bɛba ɔman no mu. Ɔman no Asase so Asɛnnibea a Ɛhwɛ Ɔman no ne Amammerɛ Ho Nsɛm so na ɛhwɛ saa dwumadie yi so. Nhyehyɛeɛ no hwehwɛ sɛ:

Ɔman no mu akatakyi ne wɔn nananom nnompe
Amanne ho agyiraehyɛde ne nneɛma kronkron a wɔde di dwuma wɔ atetesɛm mu
Akode, abasobɔdeɛ, ne ahofadi akodie akodifoɔ agyapadeɛ
Nwoma a wɔakora so wɔ aman foforɔ so

Saa nhyehyɛeɛ yi ne African Union's 2018 Action Plan for the return of cultural properties hyia, na ɛgyina wiase nhyehyɛeɛ te sɛ UNESCO 1970 Convention^[4] so.

Nnipa atitire ne nsɛnkyerɛnne kwan so nsɛm

Ade titiriw bi a wɔhwehwɛ ne sɛ wɔbɛsan de Mbuya Nehanda ti kɔnkora no a wogye di sɛ ɛwɔ Britain tete nneɛma akorae bi mu no ama wɔn. Mbuya Nehanda, a ɔyɛ nkonyaayifo ne ɔsɔretiafo no, na Britainfo kum no wɔ 1898 mu esiane dwuma a odii wɔ Chimurenga atuatew no mu nti. Ne din wɔ Zimbabwe man no nkae mu no ne honhom mu tumidi ne nananom a wɔsom wɔn no wɔ abusuabɔ paa^[2]^[5]. Aban no sii ne nkaedum wɔ 2021 mu de hyɛɛ no animuonyam, na ɛsan maa ne nkaedum no a wɔbɛsan de ama no no nyaa nidi.

Ade foforo a wɔhwɛ so ne Chimurenga ako a edi kan no ho nneɛma a wɔsan de ba, a atuo, ahyɛnsode, ne ahemfo agyapadeɛ a ɛyɛ Shona ne Ndebele akannifoɔ de no bi wɔ hɔ a, wɔagye ato mu sɛ ebi wɔ UK tete nneɛma akorae no mu^[6].

Amanaman Ntam Ayɔnkofa ne ne Mpuntuo

Zimbabwe ne United Kingdom ayɛ nhyiamu ahorow, titire wɔ ne nkorabata a ɛwɔ London no mu, na wɔabisa International Council of Museums (ICOM) ne UNESCO mmoa a wɔde bɛboa nhwehwɛmu a wɔyɛ wɔ baabi a wɔfi no ho. Wɔ afe 2022 mu no, nnipa bi a wofi Zimbabwe kɔɔ tete nneɛma akorae wɔ United Kingdom kɔhwɛɛ nneɛma bi a wosusu sɛ ɛfiri Zimbabwe.^[1]

Ɛwom sɛ nnipa nnompe biara nni hɔ a wɔasan de aba, nanso wɔ afe 2022 mu no, Natural History Museum a ɛwɔ London no gye toom sɛ ɛkura nnipa nnompe bɛyɛ 2,000 a wɔfiri Afrika, a wɔn mu bi fi Zimbabwe, na wɔresan ahwɛ sɛ wɔbɛsan de aba^[7] .

Amammerɛ ne Amanyɔsɛm Ho Mfasoɔ

Wɔ Zimbabwefoɔ, titire wɔn a wɔyɛ amammerɛ ne wɔn a wɔadi ako no fam no fam no, nneɛma a wɔde asie yi a wɔasan de aba wɔn man mu no nyɛ agyapade kɛkɛ - ɛyɛ honhom fam ade a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔyɛ. Wɔ Shona ne Ndebele amammerɛ mu no, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsie nananom atenae wɔ asase kronkron so, na wɔyɛ amanne a ɛfata de hwɛ honhom fam asomdwoeɛ ne awo ntoatoasoɔ ntam nkɔanim so^[8].

Amanyɔsɛm mu no, ɔsan a wɔbɛsan akɔ wɔn kurom no gyina Zimbabwe aban ZANU-PF amanyɔkuw no amammuisɛm akyi, a ɛde fahodie ko no di dwuma sɛ ɔman no ahwehwɛdeɛ titire. Wɔkyerɛ sɛ, sɛ wɔsan de obi kɔ wɔn man mu a, ɛkyerɛ sɛ wɔakɔ so ayɛ nhyehyɛe a wɔde bɛyi nnipa afi wɔn amammerɛ mu, na wɔsɔre tia atɔe famfo nkyerɛkyerɛ, na wɔhyɛ Zimbabwe tumidie so wɔ ne abakɔsɛm mu.^[1]

Ɔhaw ahodoɔ ne kwan a wɔbɛfa so adi so

Ɛmfa ho mmoa a amanaman no de ma no, Zimbabwe atubrafoɔ a wɔresan aba wɔn man mu no rehyia nsɛnnennen akɛse:^[1]

Baabi a wɔfiri: Wɔankyerɛ tete nneɛma a wɔde yɛɛ adwuma wɔ hɔ no ho nsɛm pii anaa wɔamfa din a ɛmfata anni dwuma^[1]
Nhyehyɛeɛ ahodoɔ a wɔmpɛ sɛ wɔyɛ ho biribi: United Kingdom tete nneɛma akorae ahodoɔ bi kyerɛ sɛ mmara anaa amammuisɛm bi si wɔn kwan a wɔmpɛ sɛ wɔsan kɔ hɔ^[1]
Amanyɔsɛm mu ntawantawa: Zimbabwe ne UK ntam abusuabɔ asesa esiane amammui mu nsisi ne adwene a ɛsono wɔ nipa kyɛfa ho nti^[1]
Sika ho hia: Zimbabwe agyapadeɛ nnwuma no hia sika ne ahoɔden pii a wɔde bɛgye nnoɔma a wɔasan de aba no na wɔde asie

Nea ɛbɛyɛ na Zimbabwe atumi adi ɔhaw ahodoɔ yi ho dwuma no, ɛrehyɛ amammerɛ mu nkitahodi mu den, na ɛrekyerɛ abakɔsɛm ho kyerɛwtohɔ wɔ kɔmputa so, na ɛreyɛ nkae asɔrefie ne nnwumakuw ahorow a wɔasiesie sɛ wɔde bɛhyɛ wɔn nananom a wɔsan baeɛ no animuonyam.^[1]

Awieeɛ

Zimbabwe National Heroes Artifacts Repatriation Drive no kyerɛ nsakrae a ɛrekɔ so wɔ man no mu ne wiase nyinaa a ɛfa agyapadeɛ a wɔawia no ho, ahohyɛso a wɔde di dwuma, ne nananom nidi a wɔde ama wɔn no ho. Ɛwom sɛ ɔkwan a wɔfa so yɛ saa no mu yɛ den na ɛkyɛ de, nanso ɔsatu no si honhom fam, amammerɛ, ne amammuisɛm mu mfaso a ɛwɔ nsiesie a wɔde ma wɔ Afrika a na ɛwɔ hɔ bere a na aman no adi wɔn so no so dua. Bere a Zimbabwe gyina n'asɛm no so no, wɔde wɔn nsa hyɛ amanaman ntam ahyehyɛdeɛ ahodoɔ so wɔ wɔn nniso a wɔde too wɔn so no ho.^[1]

Mmeaeɛ a menyaa mmoa firiiɛ

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Moffat Mungazi (2025-05-22), Zimbabwe pushes for repatriation of 1st Chimurenga heroes’ remains (in American English), retrieved 2025-07-15
1 2 Terence Ranger (1999), Voices from the Rocks, Indiana University Press, ISBN 978-0-253-33527-2, retrieved 2025-07-15
↑ "Wenner-Gren Research Conference on Bantu Origins in Sub-Saharan Africa, March 1968", Africa, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 178–180, 1969-04, doi:10.1017/s0001972000050178, ISSN 0001-9720, retrieved 2025-07-04 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ UNESCO (2007-01-01), "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property Paris, 14 November 1970", Standard-Setting at UNESCO, Brill | Nijhoff, pp. 103–111, ISBN 978-90-04-16454-3, retrieved 2025-07-04
↑ Eric T. Young (1998-01), "Bhebe Ngwabi and Terence Ranger (eds), Society in Zimbabwe's Liberation War. Harare: University of Zimbabwe Publications, 1995, 250 pp., £5.00, ISBN 0 908307 37 3.", Africa, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 145–147, doi:10.2307/1161156, ISSN 0001-9720, retrieved 2025-07-15 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ Davison Chiwara (2019-01-28), "Documentation: A Security Tool for the Identification and Repatriation of Illicitly Trafficked Objects from Museums with Particular Reference to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe", Heritage, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 390–399, doi:10.3390/heritage2010027, ISSN 2571-9408, retrieved 2025-07-15
↑ Tapuwa R. Mubaya (2015-04-03), "Africanising museums on the African soil:", African Museums in the Making, Langaa RPCIG, pp. 201–222, retrieved 2025-07-15
↑ "M.L. Daneel, Fambidzano. Ecumenical Movement of Zimbabwean Independent Churches. Gweru(Zimbabwe): Mambo Press, 1989, 643pp. ISBN 0 86922 465 4.", Exchange, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 87–88, 1992, doi:10.1163/157254392x00192, ISSN 0166-2740, retrieved 2025-07-15

[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Moffat Mungazi (2025-05-22), Zimbabwe pushes for repatriation of 1st Chimurenga heroes’ remains (in American English), retrieved 2025-07-15

[:1-2] 1 2 Terence Ranger (1999), Voices from the Rocks, Indiana University Press, ISBN 978-0-253-33527-2, retrieved 2025-07-15

[3] "Wenner-Gren Research Conference on Bantu Origins in Sub-Saharan Africa, March 1968", Africa, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 178–180, 1969-04, doi:10.1017/s0001972000050178, ISSN 0001-9720, retrieved 2025-07-04 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[4] UNESCO (2007-01-01), "Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property Paris, 14 November 1970", Standard-Setting at UNESCO, Brill | Nijhoff, pp. 103–111, ISBN 978-90-04-16454-3, retrieved 2025-07-04

[5] Eric T. Young (1998-01), "Bhebe Ngwabi and Terence Ranger (eds), Society in Zimbabwe's Liberation War. Harare: University of Zimbabwe Publications, 1995, 250 pp., £5.00, ISBN 0 908307 37 3.", Africa, vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 145–147, doi:10.2307/1161156, ISSN 0001-9720, retrieved 2025-07-15 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[6] Davison Chiwara (2019-01-28), "Documentation: A Security Tool for the Identification and Repatriation of Illicitly Trafficked Objects from Museums with Particular Reference to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe", Heritage, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 390–399, doi:10.3390/heritage2010027, ISSN 2571-9408, retrieved 2025-07-15

[7] Tapuwa R. Mubaya (2015-04-03), "Africanising museums on the African soil:", African Museums in the Making, Langaa RPCIG, pp. 201–222, retrieved 2025-07-15

[8] "M.L. Daneel, Fambidzano. Ecumenical Movement of Zimbabwean Independent Churches. Gweru(Zimbabwe): Mambo Press, 1989, 643pp. ISBN 0 86922 465 4.", Exchange, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 87–88, 1992, doi:10.1163/157254392x00192, ISSN 0166-2740, retrieved 2025-07-15

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