By Darlington Gatsi
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has demanded reparations and an apology from Britain over colonial injustices suffered by Zimbabweans and the lasting legacy of colonialism in the country.
Mnangagwa echoed the sentiments of African leaders who recently attended the Commonwealth summit in Samoa, where they called for Britain to apologise for its colonial history.
Addressing the National Elders Forum in Harare, on Thursday, Mnangagwa said it is high time that Britain acknowledges the colonial past.
“We have observed quite recently as former colonial powers apologising to Mau Mau of Kenya and also apologising to Namibia. We therefore ask when are the rest of us from the former colony going to receive similar apologies from these people, the colonisers, the British? You wonder, we need it,” said Mnangagwa.
Recently, Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said the former colonies should instead be grateful for the legacy and not demand reparations from Britain.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also ruled out paying reparations to the former colonies but is open to engaging leaders.
According to research by the Zimbabwe National Elders Forum, the country’s economy would have a US$500 billion… had the former coloniser not exported its minerals.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe is carrying the trauma of colonialism which has to be addressed through the acknowledgement of past injustices by Britain.
“It is no secret that colonial violence was brutal and systematic and those of us old enough to tell the tale still bear scars and associated trauma from the violence.
“We still bear the scars and associated trauma from that type of violence. Even in the quest for freedom and self-determination in both the first and second Chimurenga, our efforts were considered criminal and were treated as such when we sought freedom,” added Mnangagwa.
