Urges UK to return real diamond to South Africa

Days before the coronation of King Charles III, some South Africans are asking the UK to return the diamonds set in the crown jewels.

The world’s largest cut diamond was discovered in 1905 and donated by the colonial government of South Africa to King Edward VII on his 66th birthday.

It has been cut into several pieces, the largest of which is on the scepter the king will hold at Saturday’s coronation.

Another large piece adorns the front of the Imperial State Crown, and the rest were donated to other members of the royal family.

Petition and call for the return of the Great Star of Africa

Demands for the return of the “Big Star of Africa” or “First Star of Africa” have been growing.

More than 8,000 people have signed an online petition urging King Charles III to return the Cullinan diamonds.

“The diamond needs to come to South Africa. It needs to be a sign of our pride, our heritage and our culture,” Mothusi Kamanga, a lawyer and activist in Johannesburg behind the petition, told Reuters news agency.

“I think African people in general are starting to realize that decolonizing is not just about allowing people certain freedoms, but about taking back what was expropriated from us,” he added.

He is not the only one. Vuyolwethu Zungula, who heads the African Transformation Movement, a small opposition party, said he belonged with the people of South Africa.

“People had to die, blood had to be shared for diamonds to reach Britain,” he told the AFP news agency on Thursday.

The South African government has not taken an official position on the jewels, but the death of Queen Elizabeth II has sparked new talk of returning them.

Colonial legacy challenged

In recent years, African countries have come under pressure to recover cultural artifacts taken by colonial powers, such as the Benin Bronzes.

In an attempt not to offend “political sensibilities”, Queen Camilla will not wear the Koh-i-Noor (also spelled Kohinoor and Koh-i-Nur) diamond on her crown.

Indian politicians have long called for the 105-carat treasure to be returned.

India’s ruling BJP party has made it clear that any plans for Camilla to use him at the coronation would bring back “painful memories of the colonial past”.

lo/rs (AFP, Reuters)