The humiliating and haunting return of El Negro to Africa

El Negro received a warm welcome when he was returned to Botswana in 2000
El Negro received a warm welcome when he was returned to Botswana in 2000

The October 2000 repatriation of the human remains popularly known as ‘El Negro’ (Spanish for ‘The black one’) constitutes a textbook example of how not to carry out such an exercise.

The remains were returned in an incomplete and undignified manner in gross violation of professional protocols and ethics, as well as indigenous sensibilities, while key stakeholders were not consulted.

What was thus meant to have been a triumphant return of a son to his soil, bringing closure and a degree of reconciliation to an evil chapter in the annals of Europe’s violation of Africans, instead degenerated into controversy.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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