The Star of Africa, the world’s largest diamond, will be shown at King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday, and some South Africans are asking that Britain return the scepter, which contains the diamond.
The 530-carat diamond was presented to the British crown in 1905 by South Africa’s colonial government, which was administered by the British at the time.
Some South Africans are now lobbying for the diamond’s repatriation as part of a global debate over retrieving artwork and artifacts taken during colonial periods.
It is critical that South Africa get the diamond. Mothusi Kamanga, a Johannesburg-based lawyer and activist, has spearheaded an online effort to reclaim the diamond, which has received over 8,000 signatures.
Overall, I think Africans are realizing that decolonization entails regaining resources that were unlawfully stolen from them.
The Cullinan diamond, a 3,100-carat stone mined near Pretoria, was used to create the scepter’s diamond, technically known as Cullinan I.
British kings wear the Imperial State Crown for ceremonial occasions, which has a smaller diamond, Cullinan II, fashioned from the same stone. It is one of the numerous royal jewels housed in the Tower of London, along with the scepter.
A full-size replica of the renowned Cullinan diamond may be seen in the Cape Town Diamond Museum.
“I believe it should be returned home because, at the end of the day, they took it from us while oppressing us,” said Mohamed Abdulahi, a Johannesburg native.
Others acknowledged a lack of belief. It seems to be unimportant at this stage. Local Dieketseng Nzhadzhaba said, “Things have changed, we’re evolving.” Things that made people feel superior in the past are no longer relevant to us.
