South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has renewed calls for former colonial powers to pay reparations to African nations over the legacy of colonialism and slavery.

Mr Ramaphosa made the call in a statement issued on Monday to mark this year’s Africa Month, an annual commemoration of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. 

He noted that despite many African nations gaining independence, the scars of colonialism are still evident in societies across the continent and have affected the fortunes of its population. 

“Even as we celebrate our continent’s vibrancy and dynamism, we are mindful of the legacy of Africa’s colonial past and how it continues to shape our continent’s fortunes. 

“While most African countries achieved independence many decades ago, the effects of the colonial era are still evident in much of the inequality, economic exclusion, political instability and conflicts that persist in parts of Africa,” the South African leader said. 

Speaking further, Mr Ramaphosa described transatlantic slave trade and colonisation in Africa as the “most extreme form of dehumanisation,” which he said was responsible for majority of the wealth former colonial powers in the west are presently enjoying.

“The reality is that much of the wealth of former colonial powers today is the result of the deprivation of Africa’s people. Not only were millions of Africans enslaved, but colonial powers grew wealthy from the vast tracts of African land they forcibly occupied and the valuable resources they extracted.

“Across Africa, our people were taken, both dead and alive, as human specimens to be displayed and studied in faraway capitals. African historical artefacts were looted and taken to European museums,” he stated. 

He added that even though the perpetrators have offered apologies for selective crimes, former colonial powers have failed to make amends for their atrocities by paying reparations to African countries. 

“The colonial powers have largely avoided a deeper reckoning with the consequences of these acts. Some have apologised for specific atrocities, but in the main they have fallen short of full unqualified apologies for colonialism,” Mr Ramaphosa said. 

He added, “Reparations for Africa, which was the site of some of the worst forms of brutality in human history, has been a contested issue for decades. 

“Opponents of reparations argue that modern states differ from those of the colonial period. It has been argued that too much time has passed, that those directly harmed are no longer alive and that it would be unjust to hold to account individuals or governments for actions committed decades or centuries ago.”

He stated that South Africa “supports a unified, collaborative approach to the issue of reparations for Africa”.