[MSN] It is a bitter sign of the times when institutions entrusted with the protection of Zimbabwe's priceless archaeological artefacts are losing more than 1 500 precious antiques under "unclear circumstances."

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

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Moderator's comment:

In the beginning of this year we did already report thefts from this museum.
However, that was about some 60 objects. The involvement of an American
dealer/collector has become very likely the past few months. More about this
matter and this dealer at:
http://www.michelvanrijn.nl/artnews/zimbabwe.htm and
http://www.michelvanrijn.nl/artnews/ken-karner.htm (his gallery:
http://www.ezakwantu.com/)

Anybody who ever had any dealings with this dealer is invited to get in
touch with me at: toncremers at museum-security.org

Ton Cremers
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Tighter Security Needed for Public Treasures 

The Herald (Harare) 
OPINION
June 6, 2006 
Posted to the web June 6, 2006 

By Sifelani Tsiko
Harare 

It is a bitter sign of the times when institutions entrusted with the
protection of Zimbabwe's priceless archaeological artefacts are losing more
than 1 500 precious antiques under "unclear circumstances." 

By world standards, the disappearance, or theft to be precise, of 1 500
artefacts and objects from the Museum of Human Sciences in Harare is
tantamount to plunder of Zimbabwe's priceless antiques. The disappearance of
artefacts less than say 20 would be understandable but not 1 500. The
disappearance of 1 500 objects almost resembles the plunder of antiques in
war-torn Iraq where international syndicates are looting antiques for resale
on western markets. 

It is sad for Zimbabwe to lose such artefacts, which embody the country's
collective memory. According to a confidential report from an audit
conducted early this year, it was discovered that more than 1 500 objects
were missing from the museum while an additional 1 846 artefacts did not
appear in the accessions register. Such news is big news in Europe and
America and here Zimbabweans should not downplay this plunder because it
could only be the tip of an iceberg. It is possible that hoards of precious
artefacts have long been smuggled out of Zimbabwe into western markets
benefiting few individuals involved in the illicit trade in antiques.
Millions of dollars in US dollar terms are exchanged daily in the
clandestine trade. 

Researchers in this nefarious trade in archaeological and ethnological
artefacts say there is a growing number of suave and sophisticated art
thieves worldwide and Zimbabwe is the latest stop in this underworld of art
heists. Criminals are now operating on an international scale to meet the
growing sophisticated tastes of "exotic millionaire lifestyles" which thrive
on the plunder of precious items worth millions of dollars. They use locals
and this makes it an international affair which experts say 45 percent of
recovered property is found in a different country to that of its
disappearance. 

This expanding worldwide trade in priceless objects is leading to wholesale
depredations in many poor countries resulting in the mutilation and plunder
of museums and other protected s ites. By losing these artefacts, we are
also losing our collective memory about our past, present and future. The
artefacts constitute a unique cultural treasure to be enjoyed by Zimbabweans
and tourists. By this joy which cannot be measured in monetary terms is now
being lost by the activities of looters, traders and collectors. The
disappearance of the artefacts is coming three years after Zimbabwe
celebrated the return of the plinth of one of the Zimbabwe Birds looted from
Great Zimbabwe around 1890. The return of the bird was a cause for
celebration as this fitted well with the country's thrust of national
identity and restoration. 

Conversely, the disappearance of the artefacts at the museum should raise
concern about our commitment to the goals of national identity and
restoration. Zimbabwe birds were stolen and taken to South Africa and
Germany and five of them were returned in 1981 while the lower portion of
one of the birds looted around 1890 was returned in 2003. Only one Zimbabwe
bird never left the country out of the original collection of eight. The
Zimbabwe birds are full of symbolic and emotional value for the people and
this latest report about the disappearance of 1 500 artefacts from the
museum is in many ways a big loss to the country's national and cultural
fabric. Zimbabweans must take personal interest in this case and insist that
perpetrators be brought to book otherwise the next stop will be news about
the theft of one of the Zimbabwe birds. 

We must take interest in keeping tabs on public treasures to protect the
fragile pieces that make up our collective memory. There is a need for the
creation of a special professional security unit to prevent the theft and
pilferage of valuable cultural artefacts, which is on the rise in many parts
of the world. Securing adequate resources for the museums security and
putting stringent mechanism can also help curb and detect art thieves.
Improving working conditions for museum workers is also one sure way of
curbing this illicit trade in antiques. Poor working conditions and salaries
makes museum staffers susceptible to bribes and other tactics used by
international art thieves. 

Apart from the plunder of cultural artefacts, vandalism of national shrines
and other protected sites is also worrying. The Government should now act
and ensure that security is beefed up to stop vandalism and the looting of
cultural artefacts. It is also critical that the country should make
full-scale investigations into this plunder at the museum while at the same
time adopting stringent measures to secure materials of great
anthropological value. If nothing is done, then international art criminals
will continue to bleed Zimbabwe of its priceless artefacts racking in
millions of dollars out of this loot for their own selfish ends. 

http://allafrica.com/