Oxford's Oriel College has announced that it will not remove its controversial statue of Cecil Rhodes, but will instead organize a new exhibition aimed at tackling the 'inheritance of the colonialism' linked to the figure of the 19th-century imperialist .
The statue of Rhodes, which is proud of the front of the Grade II List Street building of Oriel, has been a central point for activists who have long been campaigning because of the removal of Rhodes in the colonialist actions in Africa.
The statue, built between 1901-1911, was financed by a legacy of £ 100,000 from Rhodes himself, a former student of the college.
Despite repeated calls for removal, especially after the 'Rhodes Must Fall' movement received in South Africa and the UK, the statue remains in place.
However, the college will now launch an exhibition that will 'contextualize' the role of Rhodes in history and its controversial legacy.
This includes a new sculpture made by a Zimbabwean artist, which is selected by a competition organized by Oriel in collaboration with the Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership.
The competition will contain artists of the Chitungwiza Arts Center near Harare, with the winning piece to become the center of the exhibition, which will be opened in September.
The aim of the new sculpture is to symbolize 'the power and courage of our ancestors' and to inspire a vision for a future of peace and unity, according to Tendai Gwarazava, the chairman of the Chitungwiza Arts Center.
The statue of Cecil Rhodes on the facade of the Oriel College in Oxford may remain in plans for a compromise
This includes a new sculpture made by a Zimbabwean artist, which is selected by a competition organized by Oriel in collaboration with the Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership
Great protests were held at the Oriel College about the presence of the statue of the Cecil Rhodes, because demonstrators have called to be removed over the ties of Rhodes to the colonial history of Great Britain
Lord Mendoza, the provost of the Oriel College, explained that the new artwork would be part of a broader attempt to “explore the nuances of the inheritance of colonialism,” while space is given for dialogue about the complex issues that are being increased By figures such as Rhodes.
Rhodes, a prominent British imperialist and the founder of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), is accused of laying the foundation for apartheid, despite the dying decades before the policy was formally determined in 1948.
His impact on South Africa, in particular his role in the colonization of Zimbabwe, has made him a controversial figure, with many who claim that his estate continues to influence the region today.
The Commission had previously opposed the removal of the statue, instead she chose to follow the policy of the then conservative government to 'retain and explain' its presence after the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, They were re -created after the removal of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol.
Robert Poll from Save Our Images said: 'I am sad but not surprised to hear the committee's verdict, which was a foregone conclusion from the start,' depicted: a protest in Oxford last June last June
The research said that Oriel College could finance two fellowships in courses with regard to Rhodes' inheritance, create trade fairs for students from Africa and have an annual lecture about him
In response, Oriel introduced measures to deal with issues of race and colonialism, including an annual reading on this subject and the appointment of a tutor of diversity and inclusion.
This exhibition, with its new sculpture in the heart, is the final step of Oriel to participate with these complex conversations while the statue holds in place.
The winning entry is displayed in Oriel as part of the exhibition on Rhodes that will be opened in September.
Tendai Gwarazava, the chairman of the Chitungwiza Arts Center, said: 'The image should symbolize the power and courage of our ancestors, who, despite unimaginable hardships, continued to fight for their freedom and dignity.
“It should inspire us to work towards a better future, where people in the world can live in peace, harmony and prosperity.”
Who was Cecil Rhodes and why is he so controversial?
Cecil Rhodes, depicted, who died in 1902, was the founder of De Beers Diamond Company and was accused of exploiting black miners of the precious rocks. He was also in favor of racial segregation that led to the apartheid strategy in South Africa
Cecil Rhodes was born in Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire in 1853. He was the son of a pastor.
Rhodes left England for South Africa in 1870 to work on his brother's cotton farm. Although he later moved to the Diamond Business – partly – founder of De Beers – who checked more than 90 percent of the world's supply at a certain stage.
The Tycoon had wanted to build a railway from Cairo to Cape Town to colonize a large part of the continent of Africa.
He even had plans to bring the United States back under Crown Control.
Only in the 1880s did he go to the Oriel College, Oxford, that he left a substantial fund at his death in 1902.
He was supported by Queen Victoria in expanding the British territory in South Africa, the colonization of North Rhodesia and South Rhodesia -now Zambia and Zimbabwe.
He once claimed: 'Why should we not form a secret association with only one object, the promotion of the British Empire and bringing the whole world under British rule, for the recovery of the United States, to make the Anglo -Saxon race but One empire? '
He was the prime minister of Cape Colony – now South Africa – between 1890 and 1896 and is credited to create the conditions for the Second Boer War.
In 1895, Rhodes sent British troops to Transvaal, an independent republic, to overthrow his Prime Minister Paul Kruger and to grab the gold mines of the area.
The Jameson -Inval failed miserably.
The battle for gold rights in the region led to war in 1899, which lasted more than three years.
British troops operated a terrible earth policy, burning farms and placed women and children in concentration camps where thousands died.
About 500,000 troops – including soldiers from Australia, New – Zeeland and Canada – were involved in the conflict.
The conflict claimed the life of 25,000 Afrikaners – many of them in concentration camps.
About 22,000 British troops and another 12,000 Africans died in the conflict.
