CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa has formally handed over the last of the Zimbabwe Soapstone Birds – known as Chapungu – along with ancestral human remains, to Zimbabwe in a historic repatriation ceremony that took place at the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town on Tuesday.
The handover, directed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, was presided over by Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie, and came just days before Zimbabwe’s Independence Day celebrations on April 18.
The Chapungu is the last and arguably most important of eight soapstone birds that were removed from the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe during the height of colonial plunder in the late nineteenth century. The first was taken and sold to Cecil John Rhodes – a transaction that began nearly 140 years of exile for what are regarded as sacred symbols of Zimbabwean identity, spirituality, and sovereignty.
Carved from a single block of stone at Great Zimbabwe, the ancient city that flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries and gave the modern nation its name, the birds hold deep spiritual and political significance. The Zimbabwe Bird today features prominently on the country’s national flag and coat of arms.
Many of the birds were returned to Zimbabwe following independence in 1980 through diplomatic engagement and international cooperation. Tuesday’s ceremony marked the closing of that chapter, with the return of the last remaining piece.
“I have always believed that the soul of a nation lives in its heritage,” minister McKenzie said. “When something sacred is taken from a people, a part of their story is taken with it. Returning these treasures is about restoring that story, restoring pride, and restoring dignity.”
McKenzie has spoken passionately about restoring African dignity through the return of heritage seized during the colonial era. He described the repatriation as an act of justice, memory, and healing.
South Africa said the handover reaffirmed its commitment to working with fellow African nations to ensure that the continent’s heritage is honoured, protected, and ultimately returned to the communities from which it was taken.
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