South Africans have expressed mixed feelings about the passing of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. While some are saddened by her loss, others are not moved or indifferent about her death.
The Queen died on Thursday at the age of 96 at Balmoral in Scotland.
The Land Party and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have criticised the monarch’s role in Africa and in South Africa, in particular. EFF on Thursday issued a statement saying the party was not among those mourning the British royal.
The party used her passing to highlight what it said was her contribution to a tragic period in South Africa and Africa’s history. The EFF said in 1795 Britain, under the leadership of the royal family, took control of the territory from Batavian control and assumed permanent control of the territory in 1806. That territory later became known as SA.
The EFF in a statement says that it cannot mourn the death of the world’s oldest head of state. Party Spokesperson, Sinawo Thambo says, “She’s a representative of a crown which was built on the back of slaves, which was built on the blood of people, built on colonisation and it would be historically dishonest for us to mourn a person whose history is of colonising Zambia, SA, Sudan…The crown she represents is one of blood but I think one point we must make and dismiss is that Elizabeth didn’t grant independence to African nations and this is the impression other people are trying to give. Independence was fought for and she resisted that so if there is a breakfast table in hell, we are sure Elizabeth is on it.”
Meanwhile, the Land Party has also released a statement, saying it is “Unhappy that Queen Elizabeth II died without returning all South African stolen properties.”
“She died without reparation of our forefathers’ skulls, body parts and paying reparation to native people of South Africa, particularly the African people.”
Lebohang Pheko urges Africans to be frank on Queen’s historical influence:
