The passing of Queen Elizabeth II sparked a range of emotions around the world. One of them is the monarchy’s historical position and its interactions with its former colonies. People in South Africa are discussing the Queen’s ownership of the biggest diamond in the world.
The stone, known as “The Great Star of Africa,” was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and weighs 530 carats. It is worth an estimated $400 million.
Thanduxolo Sabelo, an activist, told local media that “the Cullinan Diamond must be returned to South Africa with immediate effect” and added that “the minerals of our nation and other countries continue to profit Britain at the expense of our people.”
More than 6,000 individuals have reportedly signed a petition requesting the return of the jewel, according to CNN. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa tweeted his condolences to the whole Royal Family, and many South Africans responded by posting that the Great Star diamond had been returned.
The Cullinan diamond, according to the Royal Collection Trust, was given to King Edward VII in 1907. It had been two years since its discovery at a private mine in the former Transvaal area of South Africa. The British royal family’s royal collection is managed by the Royal Collection Trust.
Evaristo Benyera, a professor of African politics at the University of South Africa, disagrees with the story. He told CNN that the colonial dealings were unethical and illegal. The whole Transvaal and Union of South Africa administrations, as well as the associated mining syndicates, according to Benyera’s account, were unlawful.
Receiving a diamond that was stolen does not absolve the recipient. A blood diamond is The Great Star. The British Empire, the Transvaal government, and the private (mine) firm were all connected by a network of colonialism.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), an opposition political party in South Africa, added Leigh- Ann Mathys as a national spokeswoman to the claim. We don’t demand its back because doing so would imply that the diamond’s loan to the British royal family was made according to a legally binding arrangement. According to Mathys, who spoke to CNN, “it is in their control only as a result of colonial tenacities that smothered locals in this nation and abroad.