The Khama III Memorial Museum in the royal village of Serowe in the central part of Botswana recently received 45 cultural artefacts from the Brighton and Hove Museums in the United Kingdom.

The development has reignited the debate over the return of African cultural treasures taken during the colonial era.

It was ululations and whistles as the repatriated artefacts arrived at Khama III Memorial Museum in Serowe.

Stolen over 130 years ago, the gold masks, carved ivory tusks, bronze plaques, and sacred sculptures glittered in museums in the western countries.

The acting director in the Department of National Museums and Monuments, Kabelo Mogami, said each item tells a story of African craftsmanship and culture.

"Botswana joins a growing movement across Africa seeking the return of cultural heritage dispersed during the colonial and unequal historical circumstances."

Bangwato Paramount Chief and former President Ian Khama said the artefacts are a source of identity to the people of Serowe.

"These objects form part of our daily lives, our ceremonies, and our collective memories. The return holds not only historical significance but also deep cultural, national and tribal importance."

The objects were collected in the 1890s by Reverend William Charles Willoughby, a British missionary who served as advisor and translator to Chief Khama III, in the Gammangwato region.

Willoughby then transferred them to Brighton Museum in 1899, during the British Bechuanaland protectorate, where they have remained since before the Khama III Memorial Museum in Serowe formally requested their return in 2022.