South African official calls for return of African artifacts from former colonial powers

Xinhua
06 May 2025, 14:46 GMT+10

This photo taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows the view of Johannesburg, South Africa. (Xinhua)

A South African government official on Monday called for the return of the artifacts that were "stolen" from Africa during the colonial era.

JOHANNESBURG, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A South African government official on Monday called for the return of the artifacts that were "stolen" from Africa during the colonial era.

South African Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie made the remarks at the second G20 Culture Working Group session held in Johannesburg, the largest city and economic hub of South Africa.

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 18, 2019 shows a city view of Durban, South Africa. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

"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," said McKenzie.

Some former colonial masters took body parts like teeth, skulls, and other artifacts from Africa during colonialism. Britain has returned some artifacts taken during colonial days to Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria. In 2022, Belgium returned a tooth of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the independent state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

African heads of state and government met in February during the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and resolved to seek reparations for the lasting impacts of slavery by former colonial powers.

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