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Namibia pulls down statue of controversial German colonial master

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Namibia authorities, on Wednesday, took down the statue of a controversial German colonial master from its location in the capital, Windhoek, and relocated to the Windhoek City Museum, following pressure from local activists.

The monument which had commemorated the colonial officer, Curt von Francois, a German army commissioner who has been credited with founding Windhoek, has been a subject of dispute and agitation from local campaigners and historians who have refused to attribute the honour to him.

The statue which had stood on a high pedestal outside municipal buildings, depicted von Francois in a military uniform with a moustache, a large hat, and holding a sword, which activists said was a symbol of his perceived cruelty.

The removal of the statue of von Francois’ comes two years after the statue of a British colonialist, Cecil Rhodes, was beheaded by activists at the University of Cape Town in neighbouring South Africa during protests sparked by the death of black American George Floyd.

A jubilant activist, Hildegard Titus, said the “moment is a recollection of dignity, our city has been white-washed.”

“There is an emotional tie to the statue being taken down but it also has to do with historical accuracy. It was a reminder of genocide,” Titus added.

Germany colonised Namibia from 1884 to 1915 and between 1904 and 1908, German settlers reportedly killed tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people in massacres historians have called the 20th century’s first genocide.

In 2021, Germany acknowledged the genocide after lengthy, bitter negotiations and promised more than $1 billion in financial support to descendants of the victims, whom many Namibians argue were not sufficiently involved in the negotiations.

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DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

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Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.

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Miss SA opens up on why she withdrew from Miss Universe pageant

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Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.

While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.

“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.

“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.

“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”

She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.

She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.

“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.

“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.

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