·
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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