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British king acknowledges colonial atrocities in Kenya – here’s what could happen next

British king acknowledges colonial atrocities in Kenya – here’s what could happen next

ON his official visit to Kenya, King Charles III acknowledged Britain’s colonial era “wrongdoings”. He also paid tribute to Kenyan soldiers who had participated in the First and Second World Wars on behalf of Britain. His visit coincided with Kenya’s 60th independence anniversary. TONNY RAYMOND KIRABIRA, Teaching Fellow, University of Portsmouth British colonial rule in Kenya was characterised by injustices. Among these were forceful dispossession of indigenous people’s land, torture, detention and brutal suppression of anti-colonial movements. An excerpt from King Charles’s speech is useful to decipher the value and implications of his apology, from an international law perspective: The…
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South African diamonds adorn the crown of King Charles – why they’re unlikely to be returned

South African diamonds adorn the crown of King Charles – why they’re unlikely to be returned

OPERA singer Pretty Yende and foreign minister Naledi Pandor were not the only South African presence at the coronation of King Charles III. Also, there were the stones cut from the Cullinan diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. The Cullinan, named after Thomas Cullinan, the chairman of the mining company that found it in South Africa, was mined in 1905 and was bought by the Transvaal colony’s government for presentation to King Edward VII in 1907. It was cut into nine stones and another 97 fragments. Author ROGER SOUTHALL, Professor of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand The largest…
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Papua foreign minister resigns role over coronation travel cost controversy

Papua foreign minister resigns role over coronation travel cost controversy

KIRSTY NEEDHAM PAPUA New Guinea (PNG) Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said he was resigning as minister amid a controversy over the cost and size of the country's delegation to the coronation of King Charles III in London. Tkatchenko said in a statement that he "stood aside" after consulting with Prime Minister James Marape, who would assume the portfolio. He remains in parliament. "I want to make sure the recent events do not interfere with the official visits and summits we are going to have with all the World Leaders in the coming weeks," Tkatchenko said. "I also want to ensure the truth…
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Inside Westminster Abbey during King Charles’ coronation

Inside Westminster Abbey during King Charles’ coronation

RACHEL ARMSTRONG THE explosive crescendo of "Zadok the Priest", Handel's soaring anthem composed nearly 300 years ago for the crowning of King George III, marked the most sacred moment of Charles' coronation. Inside Westminster Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned since 1066, around 2,200 people were there to witness Charles's robe of state be removed, before he was shielded and anointed with holy oil, then re-emerging as the choir sang "May the king live for ever". Minutes later, after Charles was crowned and enthroned, the congregation loudly repeated the same words at the end of a pledge of…
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King Charles III crowned in ceremony blending history and change

King Charles III crowned in ceremony blending history and change

KING Charles III was anointed and crowned in Britain's biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a display of pomp and pageantry that sought to marry 1,000 years of history with a monarchy fit for a new era. In front of a congregation including about 100 world leaders and a television audience of millions, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, slowly placed the 360-year-old St Edward's Crown on Charles' head as he sat upon a 14th-century throne in Westminster Abbey. During a historic and solemn two-hour service, which dates back to the time of King William the Conqueror…
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Pretty Yende wows King Charles and Queen Camilla

Pretty Yende wows King Charles and Queen Camilla

FROM a small rural town of eMkhonto, in Mpumalanga, South Africa to Westminister Abbey, singing at the coronation of an English, an event beamed to millions around the world. This is the incredible and inspirational story of Pretty Yende, the supremely talented South African opera singer who made history by becoming the first soloist to perform at the coronation of an English monarch. Yende, dressed in a stunning yellow Stéphane Rolland gown and Graff jewellery, wowed the global A-listers who made it to the front row to witness the coronation of King Charles III.  Yende sang "Sacred Fire," a piece…
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Pretty Yende, a South African opera star with a voice that shatters glass ceilings

Pretty Yende, a South African opera star with a voice that shatters glass ceilings

IT'S been announced that South African opera star Pretty Yende will sing at King Charles III’s coronation on 6 May in Westminster Abbey, London. The 37-year-old soprano was elated. The invitation is reminiscent of when Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales were married in 1981. For this occasion, the New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa’s beautiful voice beguiled the royal couple. Te Kanawa, being Maori, represented her indigenous community who were the victims of imperialism and colonialism. Author WAYNE MULLER, Publications Editor / Research Fellow (Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation), Stellenbosch University Te Kanawa was…
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