Govt pushes for genocide deal buy-in

Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba yesterday said the government was still awaiting feedback from Germany following communication from Namibia that the N$18.4 billion for the Nama and Ovaherero genocide has been roundly rejected by affected communities.In the meantime, the government is forging ahead with its plan to get a buy-in from particularly the affected communities to accept the current offer.Several senior government officials are on record defending the current deal, saying it was a major breakthrough under the circumstances.“The joint declaration remains what it is – an agreement between Namibia and Germany - and it still stands. We are still negotiating and we are discussing it with traditional authorities,” Mbumba said.Asked what the government would do if they failed to convince the nation to accept the current deal, he said it was not for him to say how it would be handled.We are not interestedGenocide torchbearer and staunch activist Ida Hoffman said she had no interest in influencing communities to accept the agreement in its current form. It is alleged she was being courted by some government leaders to persuade communities to accept what is currently on the table.While it is currently split into two factions, the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) remains resolute in its position that it has no interest in what Germany has offered and that Mbumba is wasting his time.Nandiuasora ‘Nandi’ Mazeingo from the OTA said the government was fully aware of their position and they would not change it if the government refused to change their attitude towards affected communities.“I honestly don’t understand why, because we have made our position known a long time ago. That which they are communicating is an old position, why are they expecting us to change our position when they refuse to talk to us, when they refuse to have us involved in discussions from which they have deliberately excluded us?” he said.He stressed that development aid, which is argued to be the current offer by Germany, and reparations are two separate issues and not mutually substitutable.“Development must go all citizens. Our cause is about genocide reparations and that has to be discussed with us. If the VP chooses that development aid, that is his business. We are not interested in that discussion, ours is about reparations and we will continue to pursue that using our rights as targeted and affected people,” he said.Ovaherero Chief Vipua Kapuuo rubbished the joint declaration during last weekend’s Genocide Memorial walk at Swakopmund, repeating the affected communities’ slogan, “nothing about us, without us”.Kapuuo, speaking on behalf of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA), told community members their position was firm: that the joint declaration in its current form was unacceptable.“We implore our Namibian government to convince its German counterpart that the best way forward is to listen to the reasonable voices of the descendants of the people whose mortal remains are right here in front of us. Partial and hasty solutions are not sustainable at all. Let us collectively resolve this matter amicably once and for all,” he said.jemima@namibiansun.com

Govt pushes for genocide deal buy-in

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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Govt pushes for genocide deal buy-in

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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