Reclaiming Lost Memory: Reflections on the Restitution of Cultural Material Within the Local Context,with Specific Reference to Zimbabwe

Abstract

Since the attainment of Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, efforts have been made to redress and call for the repatriation of objects from other countries in Africa and abroad. This process saw the return of Zimbabwe birds from Germany and Cape Town, South Africa, and also archival material from Rhodes University, South Africa. However, in Zimbabwe there are other objects and human remains that were taken away from local communities and are housed in Zimbabwean museums. There have been little efforts to address and return these local objects from national museums to their respective communities in Zimbabwe. As such, this paper used selected cultural materials such as Ngoma Lungundu and human remains currently in the Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences and argue for the return of such properties to their respective communities, where they play an active role as living heritage. Through this contribution, I believe museum practitioners can rethink how to deal with the afterlife of colonialism in a post-colonial society. Some recommendations proffered are the development of a national policy on local restitution of cultural materials to affected communities. In this endeavor, there are challenges associated with local restitution in Zimbabwe chief among these being how, to whom exactly and where will these be curated?