Witbooi urges unity in Genocide Day message

Vice-President Lucia Witbooi has called on Namibians to reject tribalism and remain united as the country commemorated Genocide Remembrance Day in Eenhana yesterday.

Addressing the national commemoration in the Ohangwena Region, Witbooi said the remembrance of the 1904–1908 genocide against the Ovaherero and Nama people should strengthen national unity and deepen the country’s commitment to justice, reconciliation and nation-building.

She said the genocide and resistance against German colonial rule formed the foundation of Namibia’s later liberation struggle, linking the sacrifices of the past to the country’s eventual independence.

“The freedom we enjoy today was paid for through the suffering, sacrifice, and blood of those who came before us,” Witbooi said in her prepared remarks.

Witbooi recounted how Ovaherero and Nama resistance leaders, including Chief Samuel Maharero and Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi, confronted German colonial forces under General Lothar von Trotha, resulting in mass deaths, displacement and concentration camps.

She described the genocide as “one of the darkest chapters” in Namibia’s history and said the country must continue preserving historical truth through research, books, museums, films and academic work.

The vice-president also encouraged Namibian creatives and storytellers to document the genocide from local perspectives rather than relying on outsiders to narrate the country’s history.

Addressing the youth, Witbooi said Genocide Remembrance Day should serve as an educational platform and a call for young people to pursue educational excellence, innovation and economic empowerment.

She further urged Namibians to reject “tribalism, division, hatred and exclusion in all their forms” and to uphold the values of unity, justice and equality.

Witbooi also appealed for national support as Namibia continues negotiations with the German government over genocide reparations and reconciliation efforts.