Campaigners in South Africa & Zimbabwe are asking for the return of the Mzilikazi armband by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The armband was taken from what was then Zululand in 1896.

From:
Newsday (Zimbabwe)

‘We’ll recover Mzilikazi armband from UK museum’
KHANYILE MLOTSHWA, STAFF REPORTER – Aug 26 2011 16:02

The organisers of the King Mzilikazi commemorations to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, next month have said at this year’s event they will focus on the recovery of King Mzilikazi’s armband which is kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the United Kingdom.

“We will send a delegation of Mthwakazians to go and recover the king’s ornaments. The King’s armband was sacrilegiously taken off his body when it was exhumed by some barbaric fortune hunters in 1896,” the organisers said in a statement.
Read the rest of this entry »

Many African artefacts are in museums & private collections around the world & a significant proportion of these were acquired in circumstances of dubious legality. Many people think that some of these artefacts should be returned, but so far, campaigns have been relatively unsuccessful.

From:
Modern Ghana

Africa’s masterpieces must be returned
Source: The Herald
Africa | 15 hours ago

The restitution of a work of art or record to the country of origin enables a people to recover part of their memory and identity.

This pressing and contentious issue of the return and restitution of Africa’s looted art, antiques and cultural heritage, from today’s custodians of Euro-American museums, is one that requires urgent attention and government intervention of every African nation.
Read the rest of this entry »