Wednesday 17 June 2020

CONTEMPORARY MORALITY ON RACE AND SLAVERY


·              Subject: Fwd: Contemporary morality on race and slavery

The Times , London, June 16 2020

Letters to the Editor

Contemporary morality on race and slavery

Sir, Protesters are demanding the removal of Cecil Rhodes statue from Oriel College because he was an imperialist and racist. However, at Rhodes funeral in 1902, the hills were lined with thousands of Ndebele tribesmen chanting "Our father is dead." Ndebele chiefs agreed to guard Rhodes's grave for three weeks after his funeral. They did so for decades afterwards, because during the revolt of the Ndebele against the South Africa Company in 1896, Rhodes, unarmed, entered rebel territory to parley. He came to appreciate their grievances and promised reform, which led to the leading chief calling him "Peacemaker." Rhodes then bought back 100,00 acres of prime farming land from British settlers to return to the Ndebele, and resolved to make the building of trust between whites and blacks a major part of his work. Rhodes donated his fortune to fund scholarships for the young, irrespective of their race or colour.
Tom Benyon
Founder of Zane (Zimbabwe A National Emergency), Bladon, Oxon

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