PM to arbitrate in skulls dispute

PRIME Minister Nahas Angula has to meet with Chief Kuaima Riruako and Chief Dawid Frederick to listen to their concerns regarding the return of the skeletal remains from Germany.

Both these traditional leaders are not satisfied with the composition of the two groups that will accompany the leaders to Germany to perform rituals when receiving the eleven Nama and nine Herero skulls. “Cabinet has decided that I should meet with the two leaders and find out what are their concerns. It will only be after we have sorted out all problems that we can decide on a date to travel to Germany,” Angula told the Namibian Sun. On 16 September 2008, a letter co-signed by Chiefs Riruako and Frederick was received by the Office of the Premier.

The letter requested the Namibian Government to approach the German government to facilitate the return of all human remains of Namibians who perished during the period 1904 – 1908, which were taken to Germany, to enable the relevant authorities to give such remains a proper burial. The Riruako group complained that the Maharero Group, which also includes the OvamBanderu’s and Ovahimba’s, can take 26 delegates with them and argued that the Riruako and Nama Groups can only take 13 members each.

However, Youth, Sport, National Service and Culture Minister Kazenambo Kazenambo, explained that the Government is dealing only with two and not three groups. “In my submission to Cabinet, the Riruako-Frederick group proposed to take 26 members with them to do the rituals, while the Maharero group suggested three people. Cabinet then decided on the 26 for each of the two groups and I cannot change anything that was decided by Cabinet,” Kazenambo told the Namibian Sun. He said Cabinet wanted to give the Namibian remains from Germany a heroes’ burial at Heroes Acre, but the proposal was that the skulls be stored at the Liberation Memorial Museum, which was accepted. “Why did I not change the venue where to place the skulls because it was a Cabinet decision, and I cannot on my own change any decision taken by that authority? It does not mean if my Ministry is writing three letters to the groups that we acknowledge that there are three groups.

This is only for administrative purposes. We are only dealing with two groups,” Kazenambo said The institutions in Germany working directly with the identification and processing of the remains are the Charité Medical History Museum in Berlin, the Charité Institute of Anatomy and the University of Freiburg. Representatives of the Charité in Berlin requested that the handing over of the human remains only commence after May 2011 and that the ceremony be held at the Museum and not at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

click to enlarge SORT OUT PROBLEMS: Prime Minister Nahas Angula is tasked to take the issue of the return of human remain from Germany up with Chiefs Kuaima Riruako and Dawid Frederick © Photo: FILE