Prince William faces flak for his 'neo-colonial mentality' over African population remark

UK’s Prince William on Thursday found himself in a pool of controversy after he made an “unfounded claim” about the Africans, that is now being condemned worldwide on social media as “highly irresponsible.” Speaking at the Tusk conservation awards in London, as cited by UK’s The Times, Prince William linked the population of the African continent with the “threats” posed on the continent’s wildlife. William said that the pressure on Africa’s “wildlife and wildlife as a result of the population” is “a big challenge for conservationists, as it is all over the world,” according to several reports. His bizarre claim has now garnered a slew of controversy as experts and critics in African continents, infuriated at the statement, asked the Prince to “mind his own business”. 

“It is imperative that the natural world is protected not only for its contribution to our economies, jobs and livelihoods, but for the health, wellbeing and future of humanity,” the 39-year-old told Task Protection Awards held in London earlier this week. He indicated that Africa’s “overpopulation” was responsible for the deteriorating wildlife, and was coming in the way of the world’s conversation efforts. 

‘Racist, tone-deaf, out of touch,’ critics slam Prince’s unsubstantiated remark

Duke of Cambridge’s remark is now being labelled as “racist” and “so tone-deaf that he did not realise how callous his words were,” as critics hit out at William on social media. Some even lambasted Prince William for his renewed attack on population growth in Africa, reminding him about his 2017 remarks that were quite similar, wherein he blamed Africa’s “rapidly growing human population” for the immense pressure on wildlife and the habitats.

“Prince William has no moral authority to say anything about Africa or about Africans and their lives,” Dr. John Njenga Karugia of South Africa asserted. “Kenya is almost 3 times bigger than the UK but the UK has 70 million people to Kenya's 50 Million. Prince William believes that we in Kenya are the ones with an overpopulation problem," another critic said. “Africa isn't even in the top two most populated continents - it's Asia, and then Europe, surprise! surprise!” one other commenter lambasted the British Prince as the controversy mounted. "Prince William didn't learn a thing at COP26, such a gross display of colonialism and white supremacy in the root causes of ecosystem loss," one other retorted.

Prince William needs to mind his own business and take his 'neo-colonial mindset' elsewhere—a critic wrote on Twitter

Some even shared Prince William and his wife Kate's old photos sitting on a throne in a former British colony and being transported by Black men. The controversial images were shot during William and Kate's 2012 Diamond Jubilee tour of Commonwealth nations that depict the couple smiling as they were perched on the ornate throne-like chairs carried by Black men in the Solomon Islands' capital Honeira.

[Credit: Twitter/@SussexPrincess]

[Credit: Twitter/@SussexPrincess]