Genocide: ‘No cloak of secrecy’

Namibia’s special envoy on genocide and reparations Dr Zed Ngavirue has refuted claims that negotiations with the German government are being done under a cloak of secrecy, saying to date, no formal negotiations have taken place.
Since his appointment last year, as Namibia’s special envoy to lead negotiations with Germany, Ngavirue and the government has attracted criticism from OvaHerero and Nama leaders over the handling of the genocide issue, with OvaHerero Paramount Chief Vekuii Rukoro recently saying “government has created a deceitful negotiations scheme”.
Speaking to Namibian Sun recently in wide-ranging interview, Ngavirue described the criticism as a misrepresentation of the facts.
“No formal negations have taken place. We do not know where they are getting this from. Nothing has happened. My counterpart came and I said I will wait till I have a formal mandate from my government and my people. There have not been any formal negotiations up to this point,” Ngavirue said.
Asked what the desirable outcome will be when formal negotiations start, Ngavirue said the objective is for the German government to acknowledge that they have committed genocide, apologise and then pay reparations.


Asked about ongoing criticism that government has hijacked the talks with the German government, and sidelined the affected communities, Ngavirue said government is acting on the instructions of Parliament, following a motion by the late OvaHerero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako that was adopted unanimously in 2006.
“Government carried out the instructions to approach the German government on this issue, and it is the government of Germany that came up with the proposal that the dialogue will start with two people. It is not a proposal that came from our government.
“They talk as if the government decided they should not participate, when everyone knows it is the German government that refused to negotiate directly with the communities,” he said.
With regard to accusations that government is hijacking the negotiations, Ngavirue said that affected communities have tried before to engage the German government.
“It was very clear that our own community tried this in American courts, made representations and the government of Germany declined, and that’s why the late paramount chief asked the government to take up the issue.
“With regard to the discussions not being public, actual negotiations is just starting, now that we have mandate. The conduct that led to the special envoys was quiet diplomacy between the two governments. Anyone who understands how international negotiations are conducted won’t say this should have been public,” he said.
Ngavirue also explained that affected communities were invited to be part of the process.
Commenting on allegations that the affected communities were being sidelined, Ngavirue said that it is a real misunderstanding.
“That’s a real misunderstanding. As you very well know, the President (Hage Geingob) did invite representatives of these communities,” he said.
He explained that the person representing the Nama people at the time was parliamentarian Ida Hoffman, who at the time did say “it can’t be about us, without us”, and who said she would go and consult.
“We don’t know what she went to tell her people,” Ngavirue added
GORDON JOSEPH