Facing a backlash and a social media firestorm, Attorney General and Candidate for the People’s Progressive Party Civic, Anil Nandlall, has issued an apology over a statement he made about National Hero and leader of the 1763 Slave Rebellion, Cuffy, at a political rally at the Stabroek Market Square on Friday night.
“They insult you, they call you big batty Africans, they call you house slaves, they call you the nastiest things, well I want you to tell them that the National Hero of this country is Cuffy and Cuffy was a proud and upstanding house slave. Nothing wrong with being a house slave”, Nandlall declared.
Cuffy has been honoured as a National Hero for leading the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion in Guyana, which was the largest and most significant slave rebellion in the Caribbean’s history.
In his apology on Facebook, Mr. Nandlall said his comments did not accurately convey his intention, and “for my lack of clarity, I offer my unqualified and unreserved apology”.
He said the public record will reflect that he has always described slavery as, by far, the worst tragedy in recorded history, explaining that his intention was not born out of ill-will or any form of disrespect whatsoever.
“My intention was to condemn attempts at racial division in our country. I regard the unity of our people as indispensable to the advancement of our nation. Again, I offer my humble apologies for any unintended disrespect conveyed or offence committed”, he stated.
The APNU in an earlier statement this morning said “Cuffy, our national hero, was a freedom fighter and revolutionary. In 1763, he fought and broke the shackles of slavery and dehumanization. He then organized the world’s first nation state by freed Africans outside of Africa”.
The party said the Attorney General’s statement was disrespectful.
“We call on all Guyanese to take note of the disrespectful manner in which the PPP views Afro-Guyanese and their history in this country. Those Afro-Guyanese who choose to vote for PPP should pay special attention. Nandlall’s statement was not a slip of the tongue, but reflects the mindset of his party. We will address this issue further”, the APNU statement said.
AFC Leader Nigel Hughes and several other prominent political figures also condemned the statement by the Attorney General.
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