The diamond, which weighs 530 carats, was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to the British monarchy by the country's colonial government, then under British rule.
Amid the debate over the return of art and artifacts looted during colonial times, many South Africans are calling for the diamond to be returned.
"The diamond has to come to South Africa. It's a sign of our pride, our heritage and our culture," said Mothusi Kamanga, a lawyer and activist in Johannesburg, promoting an online petition, which gathered nearly 8,000 signatures. , "demanding the return of the diamond to Africa".
“I think that, in general, Africans are starting to realize that decolonizing is not just letting people have certain freedoms, but also taking back what was expropriated from us,” he said.
