image source,Getty Images
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has caused grief and heartfelt praise from leaders and people around the world.
Many former British colonists have publicly commemorated the Queen, while others have shared photos of Her Majesty’s visits to their respective countries.
But this favor is not consistent. For some, her death has revived memories of the bloody history of colonial rule – atrocities against Indigenous peoples, the theft of statues and artifacts from West African countries, the theft of gold and diamonds from southern Africa and India, and slavery control and oppression.
While South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the Queen as an extraordinary public figure who will be fondly remembered by many around the world, the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party said it Will not be one of the mourners.
The Economic Freedom Fighters Party, the country’s third largest party, said in a statement: “During her 70-year reign as Queen, she has never admitted to the crimes Britain and her family members have committed around the world, in fact She is the proud standard-bearer of atrocity.”
“For us, her passing is a reminder of a very tragic period in our country’s and African history.”
On social media, critics go further.
image source,Getty Images
A 1961 photo of Queen Elizabeth dancing with the President of Ghana shocked apartheid South Africa.
The tweet by Nigerian-born American professor Uju Anya just hours before the Queen’s death sparked a heated debate. One of them was removed by Twitter for breaking the rules. In a second tweet, she wrote, “If anyone expects me to express anything other than disdain for the monarch, then you can go ahead and make a wish to the stars. Because the government overseen by this monarch supports genocide , massacred and displaced half of my family, and those alive today are still grappling with the consequences.”
Her tweet was an apparent reference to the Biafran war of the late 1960s, in which the British government backed and armed the Nigerian government, which blocked the self-proclaimed Biafran Republic of separatists , starve it, and eventually crush the tissue.
Twitter user @ParrenEssential responded that this is not how Nigerians behave, adding, “You are misrepresenting our culture and our country”.
Others said scolding someone at the time of their death was very un-African.
The post demanding the return of the “Star of Africa” diamond, which was mined in South Africa in 1905 and is now part of the British royal family’s jewellery, also appeared on the day the Queen died. Many call it “stolen”. Although it was purchased by the Transvaal government and given to the British royal family as a symbol of loyalty.
But the prevailing view on social media is that the real owners of “African Star” are the people of South Africa. Twitter user @Qban_Linx said the $400 million diamond – the largest of which was set in the royal scepter carried by the monarch at his coronation – could pay for the higher education costs of 75,000 South African students.
image source,Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth held a scepter in her right hand with the Star of Africa inlaid at her coronation.
There were similar protests in India, where the hashtag “Kohinoor” quickly took off after Queen Elizabeth’s death – the term referring to a large diamond in the British royal tiara that Camilla is said to be wearing.
Other critics say the queen should use her power and influence to ensure the return of the remains of those who fought against British colonial rule.
Kenyans and South Africans demanded the heads of heroes like Koitalel Samoei. At the end of the 19th century, in present-day Kenya, Samoe led the Nandi resistance, as well as King Hinstsa kaKhawula of the Xhosa kingdom in South Africa, who was killed in 1835. After their bodies were dismembered, the heads were taken to England as trophies.
The brutal killing of Kenyans during the Mau Mau rebellion is also remembered. Gitu Wa Kahengeri, 17, who joined the rebellion 81 years ago, recalls being held in a camp by British troops, beaten and deprived of food.
image source,Reuters
Mao Mao Uprising veteran Kahengeri condemned Britain’s actions but said he would mourn for the Queen.
“They took my land, my birthright,” he told Reuters. “But we are mourning the Queen because she is a human being, a human being,” he said. “We regret the deaths of people.”
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has called the Queen a “lofty icon of selfless service”, has drawn criticism from some Kenyans for announcing four days of national mourning.
Former Botswana president Ian Khama is another defender of the Queen’s legacy, describing her as irreplaceable.
“Colonialism is not something we want to remember, it was a dark period,” he said. “The Queen carried the legacy, she was not a designer … but when she came out, it seemed to be for Repairing the damage done by colonialism, she showed that we are not above you, we want to be part of your development and help you grow as a nation.”
He argues that the continent should see her as “a person who has brought her from a dark past into a new era”.
Many say the Queen never apologized for the crimes committed in the name of the Empire. She did, however, admit to “distressing” and “difficult experiences” such as the 1919 massacre in Amritsar, northern India. In 1997, a British general ordered troops to open fire on demonstrators in a walled garden from which there was no escape, and she gave a speech expressing regret before visiting the site.
“History cannot be rewritten, no matter how much we wish it at times. It has moments of sadness and moments of joy. We must learn from sadness and build upon happiness.”