Guyana's AG under fire over 'house slave' remarks

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Guyana's Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has apologised over a statement he made about National Hero and leader of the 1763 Slave Rebellion, Cuffy, at a political rally at the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Friday night.

Nandlall, who is a candidate for the party in the September 1 general and regional election, had told supporters that Cuffy “was a proud and upstanding house slave”.

In an apparent reference to the statements allegedly being made by those opposing Afro-Guyanese people supporting the predominantly Indo-Guyanese based PPP/C, Nandlall said “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 said.

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 posted on his Facebook page, Nandlall said his comments did not accurately convey his intention, and “for my lack of clarity, I offer my unqualified and unreserved apology.

“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 added.

Nandlall 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.

But in a statement, the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) headed by the main opposition, the Afro-Guyanese dominated People’s National Congress/Reform (PPNCR), said the statement by Nandlall was “totally ignorant and repugnant.

“We condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Cuffy, our national hero, was a freedom fighter and revolutionary. In 1763, he fought and broke the shackles of slavery and dehumanisation. He then organised the world’s first nation state by freed Africans outside of Africa.

“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 added.

Nandlall’s statement was also criticised by the leader of the opposition Alliance for Change (AFC), saying it “exposed in the clearest terms the PPP/C’s attitude toward the Black population of Guyana.

“The purported apology that followed has only compounded the grievous injury inflicted upon the African people (on Friday night). It is not simply a matter of whether the Attorney General was attempting to condemn racial discrimination or encourage unity.

“The issue is far deeper and more troubling; how can anyone, let alone a senior representative of the Government in 2025 even suggest that it was possible to be a “good” or “proud” slave in the most brutal and dehumanising system of exploitation in human history?” the AFC asked.

It said to “claim that Africans could be enslaved and still be happy, proud or upstanding is an insult of the highest order, a final indignity to the memory of our ancestors and to every African and Guyanese today.”

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