Germany insincere about genocide, descendants claim

Accusing Germany of trivialising the Nama and Ovaherero genocide issue, several affected communities have come out guns blazing over remarks made over the weekend by German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier.McHenry Venaani, leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), criticised the European country for what he perceives as a lack of seriousness about its historical crimes in Namibia. This comes on the back of Germany offering N$18.6 billion as a once-off reparations payment for the Nama and Ovaherero people. A draft agreement including this offer has been rejected by the Namibian people and has, in the meantime, also been put on ice. Venaani, who raised the issue at the memorial service for the late president Hage Geingob on Saturday, accused Germany of playing ‘ping-pong’ with Namibia. Speaking on The Evening Review on Tuesday, he said: “It [the memorial service] was the correct platform. We are burying a head of state of our country and one of the issues that was unfinished in his presidency was the issue of genocide.“Germany was not forthcoming [on] when they are planning to conclude this thing. The timing was politically correct. Now we have a response from Steinmeier, which we haven’t had for months.” Venaani further underscored the stark contrast in Germany&#039;s spending priorities, particularly regarding the allocation of funds, pointing out it is questionable that that country is comfortable to spend 300 million euros to restore one of its castles, but only offered a measly once-off payment of 1.1 billion euros for reparations.More than moneyHe further clarified that their intentions extend beyond seeking monetary compensation. Instead, they advocate for a comprehensive and respectful resolution that includes exchange programmes and skills development initiatives. This approach aims to address the broader implications of the genocide and ensure meaningful reparations for affected communities.“We must not only think of monetary value, but in terms of exchange programmes too. If we increase the quantum in such a way that we say Germany will take 100 students every year to their best universities to study mechanical engineering and industrialisation and help young people, those exchanges will live longer.“If Germany says, in terms of monetary value, we will only give 30% to projects on agriculture and hospitals and the rest to the youth. If you look at what the Germans have paid to the Jews and what they are prepared to give us, you will see a big variance. Germany spends on one castle 600 million euros and they want to pay 1.1 billion [to Namibia]. Germany is playing a ping-pong game on this matter,” he said. Not sincereMeanwhile, leaders representing the Ovaherero and Nama people, under the guidance of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority and the Nama Traditional Leadership Association, criticised the German president for using a memorial service to address the issue.Professor Mutjinde Katjiua, the deputy chairperson for the joint Herero and the Nama restorative justice campaign, said in a statement: “It is unfortunate that he chose to use the occasion of the mourning of our dearly missed president to sell the discredited joint declaration to our nation and the world”.Former member of parliament Usutuaije Maamberua stressed that Steinmeier was not sincere and instead played to the gallery, failing to highlight the intricacies around which the matter revolves. “It is key that the Namibian nation is not led astray by [Steinmeier’s words] about the finalisation of the joint declaration deal of compromise. The absence of the term reparations in the declaration avoids comprehensively acknowledging Germany’s legal responsibility for the genocide. How [can] the German state finalise a so-called joint declaration already rejected by about 95% of the Nama and Ovaherero [people]?” he wanted to know.jemima@namibiansun.com

Germany insincere about genocide, descendants claim

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-07

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Germany insincere about genocide, descendants claim

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-07

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