Keypoints:
- SA demands immediate return of stolen artefacts
- McKenzie says 30 years of talk is enough
- AU links restitution to wider reparations push
SOUTH Africa has demanded the immediate return of African artefacts and human remains taken during colonial rule, declaring that the time for talk is over. Speaking at the second G20 Culture Working Group session in Johannesburg on Monday, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie said repatriation of proven looted items must proceed without negotiation.
‘We want them to be returned to Africa. If there is proof that they were stolen from Africa, there should be no negotiations — they have to be repatriated. We can’t speak about the same thing for 30 years. Theft is theft,’ McKenzie said.
The remarks were made as cultural representatives from the world’s largest economies gathered in South Africa’s economic capital to discuss global cooperation on heritage and culture.
Colonial legacies under fresh scrutiny
McKenzie’s comments come amid renewed momentum across Africa to reclaim cultural heritage seized during colonial rule. In addition to sacred objects and artefacts, colonial powers also took human remains — including teeth, skulls, and bones — many of which remain in European museums or private collections.
While some former colonisers have made symbolic returns in recent years, the pace and scope of restitution remains limited. In 2022, Belgium returned a single tooth of Patrice Lumumba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first post-independence prime minister. The UK has returned select artefacts to Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin.
But for many African leaders, these moves are too little, too late.
AU building united restitution front
The call for cultural restitution is also being tied to broader demands for reparations. At the 38th African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa in February, African heads of state agreed to push for compensation from former colonial powers for the enduring harm caused by slavery and colonisation.
‘Africa is not asking for a favour. We are asserting our right to what was taken,’ an AU official said following the summit.
South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and other regional powers are now intensifying efforts to internationalise these demands at forums such as the G20 and United Nations.
Global response remains mixed
Some European nations — including France, Germany, and the Netherlands — have launched limited initiatives to return artefacts, but many institutions continue to resist broader repatriation, citing legal, curatorial, or ownership concerns.
In contrast, McKenzie made it clear that South Africa sees no justification for delay.
‘Restitution is not a negotiation. It’s justice,’ he said. ‘And justice delayed is justice denied.’
As the G20 culture summit continues, Africa’s call is resounding louder than ever: return what was stolen — not as charity, but as an act of historical repair.
