South Africans Urge UK to Return 'Great Star of Africa' Diamond

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died at the age of 96 on September 8. Her passing has resonated far beyond the UK. Among others, many African politicians expressed their condolences to the royal family and the people of the United Kingdom.

Demands for the return of the Great Star of Africa diamond, obtained by the British Empire over 100 years ago and intertwined with the history of imperialism, to South Africa have been made following Queen Elizabeth II's death.

The Great Star of Africa is the biggest stone cut from the Cullinan diamond, which is the largest rough diamond ever discovered and was found in South Africa in 1905 in a mine owned by South African diamond magnate Thomas Cullinan Also known as Cullinan I, the enormous 530.2 carat drop-shaped diamond was added to the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross and is also on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, the Smaller Star of Africa, at 317.4 carats, is the fourth largest polished diamond in the world and the most valuable stone in the Imperial Crown, which is currently set atop Queen Elizabeth's coffin as she lies in state at Westminster Hall.

Despite the Royal Collection Trust claiming the diamond was presented to the king "as a symbolic gesture to heal the rift between Britain and South Africa after the Boer War," South African public figures started questioning the legitimacy of the diamond being kept outside South Africa.

Former African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo stated: “The minerals of our country and other countries continue to benefit Britain at the expense of our 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 returned to SA with immediate effect," WalesOnline reports.

Similarly, African Transformation Movement (ATM) MP Vuyo Zungula has led calls for the Great Star of Africa to be returned to South Africa. Further, he expressed his opinion on the current South Africa-UK relations, saying:

“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.”

More than 6,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Great Star of Africa to be returned and put in a South African museum.

As with many of the great treasures discovered in Africa during British colonial rule, the Great Star of Africa was purchased by the Transvaal government and given to the reigning King Edward VII. In order to get the diamond safely to England, agents spread rumors of it being delivered by boat. That strategy distracted potential thieves, and the diamond was packaged and sent by mail without security.

When the huge gem arrived safely, King Edward VII gave it to Joseph Asscher, who was ordered to cleave it. However, the Cullinan stone turned out to not be an easy nut to crack. After studying the diamond for six months, when Joseph Asscher attempted to cut the stone, the knife’s steel blade broke in two, while the diamond wasn’t even scratched. The second attempt, however, was a success.