Geneva: In a deeply symbolic gesture of cultural respect and friendship, Switzerland has voluntarily returned three sacred cultural artefacts belonging to South Africa’s Nkuna royal family. The handover, conducted during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Visit to Switzerland, marks a significant moment in the ongoing effort to restore African heritage to its rightful custodians.
According to South African Government News Agency, the cultural goods-a carved wooden stick, a divination basket, and a bovine astragalus amulet-were originally owned by the Nkuna royal family of Limpopo and used in ritual and spiritual ceremonies dating back to the 19th century. The items were part of the collection of the Ethnographic Museum of NeuchStel (MEN) and were returned to South Africa voluntarily by the City of NeuchStel following years of dialogue and cooperation between the museum, the Nkuna family, and cultural authorities.
‘Yesterday, in NeuchStel, sacred artefacts of the Nkuna royal family began their journey home after more than a century. More than pieces in a museum, these objects carry the memory of generations and the identity of a people. This act of repatriation speaks to who we are-both Switzerland and South Africa. It speaks to our shared belief that dialogue can heal what conflict has broken, and that the dignity of every human being transcends borders and time,’ President Ramaphosa said during his address earlier on Wednesday.
The Nkuna family, represented by Petronella Nobantu Mokoena, Abel Mxolisi Shilubane, Sipho Thammy Shiluvana, and Slate Shiluvane, joined President Ramaphosa, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, and Aur©lie Carr©, Director of the Ethnographic Museum of NeuchStel, for the formal presentation. The three artefacts hold deep symbolic and spiritual significance. A carved wooden stick, believed to have belonged to Regent Nkuna Mankh©lou around 1850, represents pre-European indigenous art and leadership.
A divination basket containing bones and shells known as ‘Boula’ or ‘Nhlolo’ was used by healers in traditional medicine and fortune-telling rituals. A bovine astragalus amulet, once part of a sacred altar, symbolises protection and ancestral power; it was among four cattle sacrificed following a historic battle and later preserved by Prince Mankh©lou Shilubane. The items were originally collected in South Africa by Protestant missionary Henri-Alexandre Junod (1863-1934) from NeuchStel, who lived and worked in the region from 1889 to 1921.
Historical records show that Junod purchased the items directly from the royal family and expressed great admiration for their culture and traditions. In 2016, descendants of the Nkuna family initiated contact with the museum to request the return of the artefacts, describing them as essential parts of their spiritual heritage. The museum responded positively, seeing it as an opportunity not just for restitution, but also for a broader collaboration in cultural research and knowledge exchange.
The Federal Office of Culture (FOC) supported the process, emphasising its importance as a gesture of mutual respect and cultural diplomacy. The return of the artefacts is viewed as the beginning of an ongoing partnership between the museum, South African cultural institutions, and the Nkuna community. According to the Swiss authorities, the voluntary return highlights Switzerland’s growing commitment to ethical cultural cooperation and the recognition of Africa’s rich heritage. As part of the State Visit, President Ramaphosa and President Keller-Sutter viewed the artefacts alongside members of the Nkuna family, symbolising a bridge between past and present and between two nations united by a shared commitment to respect, reconciliation, and cultural renewal.