President Emmerson Mnangagwa has demanded an apology and reparations from Britain for the colonial injustices experienced by Zimbabweans and the enduring legacy of colonialism in the country.
Speaking at the National Elders Forum in Harare, Mnangagwa’s call echoed the sentiments of African leaders who recently gathered at the Commonwealth summit in Samoa, where they urged Britain to confront its colonial history. He emphasized that it is time for the former colonial power to acknowledge its past actions.
“We have seen former colonial powers apologize to groups like the Mau Mau in Kenya and to Namibia. So, we ask, when will the rest of us from former colonies receive similar acknowledgment from the British colonizers? This is something we genuinely seek,” Mnangagwa stated.
His comments come amid a backdrop of varied opinions on colonial reparations. Recently, Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick argued that former colonies should express gratitude for the legacy left behind rather than demand reparations. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also ruled out the possibility of reparations but is open to discussions with leaders from former colonies.
Research conducted by the Zimbabwe National Elders Forum reveals that Zimbabwe’s economy could have reached an estimated US$500 billion if its minerals had not been extracted by colonial powers.
Mnangagwa further underscored the lasting impact of colonialism on Zimbabwe, stating, “The violence inflicted during colonial rule was both brutal and systematic, leaving those of us who lived through it with lasting trauma.” He added that the struggles for independence during the first and second Chimurenga were often treated as criminal activities, met with harsh repression by colonial authorities.
