First Genocide Remembrance Day widens divisions

The commemoration of the inaugural Genocide Remembrance Day has exposed deepening rifts among affected communities and sparked concerns over a lack of consultations.Damara and Hai||om San groups have waded into the genocide claims arena, arguing that the Germans also murdered their ancestors.Government gazetted 28 May as the date on which Namibia commemorates the 1904-1908 Ovaherero and Nama genocide victims.The date was proposed by former Swanu president Usutuaije Maamberua as a neutral option, marking the closure of the Shark Island concentration camp in 1907.German colonial forces established the camp in 1904 to detain Ovaherero and Nama people. Around 1000 to 3000 people are believed to have died in the camp.A powerful reminderPresident Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Wednesday acknowledged the lingering trauma of the genocide, stating that Namibia will never forget the emotional, psychological, economic and cultural scars which remain etched in the affected communities and the nation as a whole.“In that vein, our presence at this occasion marks a decisive step forward in dealing with the past by collectively remembering and sharing the pain of the directly affected Ovaherero and Nama communities," she said.Nandi-Ndaitwah added that there is no doubt these communities endured the most horrendous, devastating and traumatic period of their lives during that tragic chapter in Namibia's history.The president added that against this background, by Proclamation Number 19 of 2024, 28 May was declared a day of remembrance of the genocide and a public holiday.“We are, therefore, here for the first time as a nation to remind ourselves of the dark days of 1904–1908," Nandi-Ndaitwah said, adding that the day should be a powerful reminder of a shared resolve to continue on the path of nation-building, reconciliation and healing the wounds of the past.According to her, the day must always make Namibians recognise what their brave ancestors endured in defence of the country.Exclusion of traditional leadersThe initial draft of the remembrance day’s programme, seen by Namibia Sun, listed only Nandi-Ndaitwah and Vice-President Lucia Witbooi as speakers.It was later amended to include Gaob Immanuel Gaseb, chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders.Josef Kauandenge, president of the newly formed Association for Localised Interest (Asoli), expressed outrage over the absence of those he described as the true representatives of the descendants of the 1904 genocide.Kauandenge described the official programme as “a travesty” for sidelining traditional chiefs.“What is perplexing to the core is the absolute absence of any traditional chiefs on the official programme. It does not sit well with the descendants and their traditional chiefs that they have been ignored on their day,” Kauandenge said.He further accused Nandi-Ndaitwah’s administration of deliberately sidelining traditional authorities and warned that history would not look kindly on the omission.“It’s the government’s programme. It has nothing to do with the descendants. Sad but true,” Kauandenge added.28 May ignites division Landless People's Movement (LPM) head of the human rights desk Joyce Muzengua yesterday accused government of not having consulted the Nama and OvaHerero communities adequately."You cannot sit with a group of five or 10 people and decide. You cannot speak to a Nama or a Herero and decide on that. There must be wide consultations," Muzengua said.She added that 28 May has no real relevance because not all the camps were closed on the same day.According to Muzengua, the Namibian genocide cannot be compared to the Holocaust, as the Jews gained their freedom when the concentration camps were closed.She noted that although the Namibian camps were eventually shut down, many survivors were taken by the Germans and subjected to further enslavement on farms.She argued that the government should recognise 22 April, the date on which an extermination order was issued against the Namas, and 2 October, when another order was issued against the Ovahereros, as national holidays.Muzengua stressed that the government cannot nationalise the genocide and must consult the affected traditional authorities, potentially by convening a national genocide conference."The Namas died as Namas, and the Hereros died as Hereros," she said, adding that if the government can recognise five religious holidays, it should also be able to designate two for genocide remembrance.Muzengua called for a law on the genocide commemoration, adding that such commemorations should be centred on the victims.Additionally, Muzengua called for legislation to govern the genocide commemorations, arguing they should be centred on the victims.She moreover said Damaras were killed because they co-existed with Ovahereros, but they were not the target of the extermination order."There was no intent to kill the Damaras," Muzengua said, adding that the Hai||om San around the Etosha area should take up their case because an extermination order was issued against them in 1911.The demandsGermany officially acknowledged the atrocities as genocide in 2016 and, in 2021, offered about N$21.4 billion in development aid over 30 years.Muzengua said the affected tribes' reparation demands are based on five elements: restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, guarantees of non-repetition and satisfaction.So far, the affected communities have tabled three figures: N$9 trillion, N$450 billion and N$250 billion.Muzengua said the proposed figures are based on the loss of lives, livestock and cultural heritage.She explained that the communities are assessing their current circumstances in contrast to how they might have developed had the genocide not occurred.Muzengua said the Namas and Ovahereros are minorities who cannot decide on their demands unless they go to court, which is an expensive route."Economically, they lost their land and livestock and were pushed into resources and today live in abject poverty," she said.

First Genocide Remembrance Day widens divisions

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-18

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First Genocide Remembrance Day widens divisions

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-18

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