Brighton & Hove Museums to repatriate 45 artefacts to Botswana

In southern England, Brighton & Hove Museums is set to return 45 artifacts to Botswana, which were obtained by Reverend William Charles Willoughby in the 1890s. These items, encompassing clothing, accessories, and hunting tools, will be displayed permanently at the Khama III Memorial Museum in Serowe, with the return scheduled for April 2026. A collaboration between Brighton & Hove Museums and the Khama III Memorial Museum is underway to create a permanent exhibition, launching on May 27. Gase Kediseng, curator at the Botswanian museum, emphasized that this return signifies a restoration rather than mere relocation. Assistant curator Sandra Bauzá Santos, along with Hannah Mortell, will assist in the installation. This initiative aligns with growing discussions on decolonization and repatriation in UK museums. From 2019 to 2021, a partnership was forged between the two museums through the Making African Connections project, initiated by the University of Sussex, leading to the request for repatriation. Willoughby likely acquired these items from discarded sources or local artisans during a tumultuous era before donating them to Brighton Museum in 1899.