Genocide: Mbumba urged to listen more, talk less

The Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) has called on President Nangolo Mbumba to actively listen to what descendants of the Nama and Ovaherero genocide victims want from Germany instead of approaching them with a predetermined decision.Last week, Mbumba said he was willing to engage in discussions with traditional leaders about their demands for reparations from Germany for the 1904 to 1908 genocide.“I used to chair the committee that coordinated the negotiations as vice-president. I am now giving those responsibilities to the vice-president [Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah], who is a better diplomat than I am. Maybe her work will be more successful than [mine],” he said during the State of the Nation Address.“People come here, the German president Frank Steinmeier, and he said something. But the bottom line is really: is Germany ready to compensate to the level acceptable to all of us? To just say we apologise, is nothing – it is a heavy, heavy responsibility. I am happy to meet the traditional leaders to understand what they want,” the president said. Invitation extended In response, vice-chair of the Nama Genocide Technical Committee (NTLA), Sima Luipert, said the president is always welcome to meet the NTLA and urged him to approach discussions with an open mind and heart.“The president is advised to actively listen rather than come with a predetermined decision. As long as that doesn&#039;t happen, he will never understand the bottom line of NTLA, which is the complete opposite of what the president states as the government&#039;s bottom line,” she said.“In fact, the chairperson of NTLA, Gaob Johannes Isaack, has officially invited both the president and vice-president to the annual genocide memorial walk and memorial tombstone unveiling in Lüderitz at Shark Island on 13 April. Since all Nama leaders will be present, it will be a good opportunity for the president to learn from leaders and direct descendants of the Nama people.”She added: “To be able to sit with the Nama people at Shark Island and to feel the emotions – let the president experience Shark Island with the Nama people, and maybe it might make them understand why the Nama leaders have taken the stand they have,” she said.Time is nowDuring late president Hage Geingob’s funeral, Steinmeier said it was high time for Germany to apologise to Namibia for the genocide and that he hoped to return soon to tender such an apology.As part of a controversial deal, the German government has agreed to pay Namibia 1.1 billion euros (N$18.6 billion) in projects over 30 years for the reconciliation and reconstruction of communities affected by the Nama-Herero genocide as a form of reparation.While the Namibian government had initially heralded the deal as a major breakthrough after years of back-and-forth negotiations, the affected communities have called it an insult.jemima@namibiansun.com

Genocide: Mbumba urged to listen more, talk less

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-12

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Genocide: Mbumba urged to listen more, talk less

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-12

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