In December a group of Zimbabwean activists unfurled a banner in the grand hall of the Natural History Museum in December, demanding the repatriation of human remains. The activists believe that the skulls of spiritual leaders Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi – who led the resistance against colonization in what is today Zimbabwe – may be among the remains in the London museum’s large collection.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the skulls were reportedly shipped to Britain as war trophies, after the leaders were executed in 1898 for their rebellion against the British. While the museum is yet to identify the remains through DNA testing, the group remain concerned about the confirmed 11 Zimbabweans who they hope to lay to rest back home.
