Three sacred Nkuna artefacts return to SA after 100 years in Swiss museum
The sacred artefacts originally belonged to the Nkuna chiefdom’s Shilubana royal family.
A moment of cultural restitution unfolded this week, signalling a successful start to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Visit to Switzerland.
On Tuesday, 28 October 2025, the town of Neuchatel officially handed over three artefacts that had been housed in the Ethnographic Museum of Neuchatel for over a century.
The artefacts – a set of 30 divining bones in a woven basket, a bull’s foot bone used as an amulet, and a walking staff – originally belonged to the Nkuna chiefdom’s Shilubana royal family.
Their removal occurred after Swiss missionary and ethnographer Henri-Alexandre Junod purchased them. Junod, who was close friends with the Nkuna regent Mugevisa Mankhelu Shilubana, brought the objects back to Neuchatel. Junod finally returned from Africa in 1920.
The artefacts, originating from Shiluvane in current Limpopo Province, were formally transferred via a signed deed on Tuesday. Talks concerning the artefacts’ voluntary return began in 2016.
Ramaphosa arrived in Bern for the two-day state visit on the same day the artefacts’ transfer took place. The recovery of these Nkuna Royal Family heritage artefacts is set to reinforce cultural and historical ties between the two nations.
Ramaphosa’s Swiss agenda: Artefacts and agreements
Ramaphosa’s agenda in Switzerland is set to focus on strengthening bilateral relations, deepening economic cooperation, and advancing partnerships in science, technology, arts and culture.
During the visit, Ramaphosa will hold official talks with President Karin Keller-Sutter and oversee the signing of key agreements. The presidents will also visit a vocational school to highlight youth cooperation and skills development initiatives.
South-East Asia tour
The Swiss visit immediately follows a busy international schedule for Ramaphosa. Just hours before arriving in Switzerland, the president concluded a three-nation tour of South-East Asia. From 22 to 28 October 2025, Ramaphosa visited Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
This tour included his attendance at the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur.