The news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing was broadcast on African televisions Thursday night, interrupting their regular programming.
According to Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth passed away quietly at her Scottish home, where she had spent the majority of the summer.
In Africa, where her rule had a lasting impact on former colony countries, tributes to the UK’s longest-serving monarch started to come in as soon as she passed away. One of them is Nigeria, which was a part of the British Empire from the middle of the nineteenth century until 1960.
Paul Apel, a Nollywood Film Maker had this to say. “I felt so sad when I heard about her passing but I also celebrate her life as a symbol of leadership, a symbol of peace. I remember she gave us our independence on a platter of gold and that I am grateful about. “
Emotions were also stirred in South Africa where the queen’s ties to the country began in her youth. The mayor of Cape Town paid tribute to her “long life of dedicated service”.
“Of course, we remember that the Queen had a special relationship with Cape Town. It was here in 1947 that she celebrated her 21st birthday and made what is probably remembered as one of the most, if not her most famous and well-remembered speeches.” Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor of Cape Town said.
In Fajara a coastal suburb of Bakau in the Gambian capital Banjul, one woman chooses to celebrate the queen’s long reign. The Gambia had been a member of the Commonwealth from 1965 to 2013, before reapplying for membership in 2017. Fatou Camara, entrepreneur and communication advisor says “this is something that people should not be sad about because she spent most of her years doing great things for people. For me, I think this is a great win for everybody, every woman especially.”
For these ones in Free Town Sierra Leone, “The world has lost an icon,” The country was part of the British Empire from 1808 to 1961. Alfree Barrie, a Freetown resident believes “the queen has set an example for the rest of the world. When she visited Sierra Leone in the 1960’s in the aftermath of our independence, I was not born but I was taught in history that her visit turned the corner for the history of Sierra Leone.”
“As we say in Arabic, may her soul rest in perfect peace. On behalf of Sierra Leone, we are sending our deepest condolences.”
The period during which Queen Elizabeth II served as the UK’s head of state included the change from an empire to a Commonwealth. a time when her involvement with imperialism’s detrimental effects has also drawn scrutiny. The critique of Britain’s colonial legacy on African countries has also returned since her death.
