African backing for our Livingstone campaign

Apr 23 2009 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

UP to 20 Africans this week backed the Advertiser’s campaign to save the David Livingstone Centre.

Leading African church leaders in Scotland last Thursday gathered for a conference outside the Blantyre centre in a bid to get the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to maintain the management of the facility.

While meeting with Blantyre Independent councillor Bert Thompson, the group made several passionate speeches and urged people to sign our petition to keep the historic centre.

The future of the facility is in doubt after cash-strapped NTS say they will end their management of the centre unless someone clears their crippling £100,000 deficit by the end of the month.

It is one of 11 Trust properties facing the axe.

If the trust severed its ties with the centre, control would be handed back to a board of governors and trustees who would face huge problems maintaining and running the centre.

Rev. Michael Ogwuche, of Jubilee International Church, Glasgow, said: “Dr David Livingstone died 136 years ago in the heartland of Africa yet in many parts of the world his legacy lives on.

“In fact, Dr Livingstone is described by many as one of the greatest missionary and European explorers of Africa, whose opening up of the interior of the continent contributed to the 21st century civilisation, therefore it is safe to say that African history will not be complete without his name.

“Dr Livingstone was an embodiment of everything. He was a theologian, an abolitionist, a zoologist and a naturalist.

“His fame was so worldwide that other countries seemed to understand him even better than his own.

“To omit the name of such a man from these brief sketches of missionary heroes would be impossible.

“Dr Livingstone was a fighter for good causes, and we therefore feel obligated as Africans living in his home country to add our voices to the campaign and sign petitions spearheaded by the Hamilton Advertiser.”

Rev. Daniel French, a cultural heritage graduate of Caledonian University and chaplain of the Ghanaian Methodist Chaplaincy, Glasgow, addressed the conference supported by other African ministers and Africans living in Scotland.

He said: “It is our prayer that those in authority will listen to the voice of reason and resume their conversation with South Lanarkshire Council, potential funders and those responsible for the running of the centre.

“We therefore invite all present to sign the petition.”

A decision on the future of the centre was expected to take place today (Thursday) when the board of the NTS staff are likely to meet.

Last week, a formal one-month consultation period began for NTS staff facing redundancy. Ninety staff are affected.

More than 7000 people have signed our petition.

It’s not too late, please return your completed forms to the Advertiser as soon possible.

If you have yet to back the campaign, fill in the coupon alongside this article or download a petition from our website: www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk

Petitions are also available from our offices in Campbell Street, Hamilton.