Exclusive: Rhodes Must Fall call out Joshua Nott as ‘an opportunist at best’

The Rhodes Must Fall movement have denounced the new Rhodes scholar as nothing more than a “privileged hypocrite”.

Joshua Nott, a previous activist and publicist for the Rhodes Must Fall campaign group, has been awarded the £40,000 Rhodes scholarship at Oxford.

Speaking exclusively to the Tab about Nott, a spokesperson for Rhodes Must Fall said that Nott is “an opportunist at best”, calling him a hypocrite and an “embodiment of the fruits of Cecil John Rhodes legacy.” The group say his move to take this scholarship de-legitimatises their work and is “indicative of gross historical privilege”.

Last year’s winner of the Rhodes Scholarship, Ntokozo Qwabe, also faced controversy in accepting his scholarship, and since then for storming a lecture with a whip. He defended the money he received saying he was merely recovering wealth stolen from Africans by Rhodes during the colonial period.

They revealed they pushed Joshua Nott from the group as they “rejected white involvement”, wanting to “organise as black students” instead.

Joshua, however, claims: “When the Rhodes Must Fall campaign began it was less about the statue and more about student transformation at UCT [Cape Town University]. But it is radicalised black nationalists now.”

Questioning his motives as a white and privately educated, the RMF spokesperson said: “One can only wonder what type of arrogance and entitlement is required for someone to say that he is as deserving as an underprivileged person.”

Nott, speaking at his home in Johannesburg, said: “If an under-privileged perso could effect as much change… I would easily renounce it but I firmly believe in myself as someone who can effect immense macro change.”

The RMF spokesperson rounded off the statement saying: “This type of gross paternalism is the very embodiment of Rhodes’ legacy. For these things to continue for us demonstrate that Rhodes’ has yet to fall, the Notts of this world shall yet find their day of reckoning in the searing heat of the rising Azania.”

Nott previously said: “I think protests should not be degraded to that level… But you can only get your voice heard if you engage in extreme or violent protests.

“I use the Rhodes scholarship to defeat the very ideals of what it originally stood for.  He said Rhodes Must Fall was ‘burning bridges instead of building them – it has become very unintelligent.”