The world's largest known clear-cut diamond, which was previously housed in the Queen's crown jewels, is now being demanded back by South Africa. Since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week, there have been increasing requests in South Africa for the Great Star of Africa, also known as the Cullinan I, to be returned because the country claims it belongs to them.
The enormous diamond is part of a larger diamond that was given to the Royal Family after it was unearthed in South Africa in 1905, when the nation was still ruled by the British. It is held on the point of a sceptre that once belonged to the Queen.
People from all around the world flocked to pay tribute and express their condolences after hearing the news of the Queen's passing made headlines. However, in certain nations, it has also sparked concerns about the monarchy's function and its contribution to Britain's colonial past.
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The question of who owns the Great Star of Africa and other valuable stones mined in South Africa has been a major topic of discussion in the media. The opinions of African Transformation Movement (ATM) MP Vuyo Zungula, who thinks South Africa should dissolve its links to the Commonwealth and adopt a new constitution, were extreme.
"SA should now leave the Commonwealth, demand reparations for all the harm done by Britain, draft a new constitution based on the will of the people of SA not the British Magna Carta, and demand the return of all the gold, diamonds stolen by Britain," he is alleged to states in timeslive.co.za.
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Moreover, former ANC KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo claimed that Britain continues to benefit from the minerals of our country and other countries at the expense of the people. "We remain in deep, shameful poverty, we remain with mass unemployment and rising levels of crime due to the oppression and devastation caused by her and her forefathers."
The Cullinan Diamond must be delivered back to South Africa right away, he continued. A petition requesting the return of the Great Star of Africa and its placement in a South African museum has received more than 6,000 signatures. Following the demise of the Queen, South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, extended his sympathies, but many have suggested that he should have demanded the return of the diamond instead.
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