Ovaherero remember genocide
Chief Vekuii Rukoro has told his people that if they lose in court, they will launch a struggle on a different level.
Ovaherero paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro called for a speedy conclusion of what he termed “unfinished business” between his tribe and the German government.
Rukoro said that if the Germans do not see sense to sit down at the negotiation table in a peaceful manner and face the true representatives of the people, to negotiate a peaceful and lasting settlement, they will leave the “Ovaherero and Nama no choice but to do what a man has to do in defence of his people”.
Rukoro was speaking at the 11th Ovaherero Reparation Walk in Swakopmund on 31 March.
The event is held annually by the Ovaherero/Ovambanderu Genocide Foundation, with the aim of remembering and paying respect to their ancestors who perished in a concentration camp at Swakopmund at the hands of German soldiers during the 1904-1908 genocide.
“We will not fail the people's expectations. Our ancestors resisted uninvited colonisation and the occupation of their motherland by Germany, and the subsequent brutal suppression that followed. This resulted in the subsequent naked act of genocide declared first against the Ovaherero and later against the Nama people.”
Approximately 80% of the Ovaherero and 50% of the Nama people were killed.
Rukoro emphasised that their leaders tabled a motion on the issue in the National Assembly in 2006 which was unanimously adopted.
“It was subsequently declared that what happened was a naked act of genocide. Germany owes the victims an apology and they are entitled to reparations in terms of international law. The resolution which called for discussions between Germany, representatives of the affected communities and the Namibian government however remains unimplemented to date.”
The chief further accused the Namibian and German governments of instead coming together and starting discussions, with the total exclusion of the victims.
“The reason for doing so is simple. Germany does not want to create a precedent by paying out reparations and certainly does not want to spend money to pay reparations to what it considers to be two small native nations in Southern Africa.”
Rukoro said Germany had gladly volunteered to continue supplying development aid for many more years to come. “The two governments agreed shortly after independence, via a secret agreement which was uncovered, that Germany would rather provide generous development aid instead of paying reparations to the Ovaherero and Nama people. German development aid thus makes the payment of reparations void and hence the need to exclude the two representatives of the victim groups from discussions between the two governments.”
The chief had previously stated that an apology without reparations would constitute a phenomenal insult to the intelligence of Namibians and the descendants of the victim communities.
Due to this situation the Ovaherero and Nama tribes had no other option to pursue other avenues to hold Germany accountable and decided to take legal action.
A legal suit for genocide, illegally confiscating livestock and the property of ancestors, which would have been inherited by those alive today, was filed in a federal court in New York.
The case was postponed to 3 May to give Germany an opportunity to prepare a defence.
“We will emerge victorious one day. The youth will move back to the land that was once occupied by their ancestors. If we are not victorious in court, we will come back and launch a different level of struggle.”
OTIS FINCK
Rukoro said that if the Germans do not see sense to sit down at the negotiation table in a peaceful manner and face the true representatives of the people, to negotiate a peaceful and lasting settlement, they will leave the “Ovaherero and Nama no choice but to do what a man has to do in defence of his people”.
Rukoro was speaking at the 11th Ovaherero Reparation Walk in Swakopmund on 31 March.
The event is held annually by the Ovaherero/Ovambanderu Genocide Foundation, with the aim of remembering and paying respect to their ancestors who perished in a concentration camp at Swakopmund at the hands of German soldiers during the 1904-1908 genocide.
“We will not fail the people's expectations. Our ancestors resisted uninvited colonisation and the occupation of their motherland by Germany, and the subsequent brutal suppression that followed. This resulted in the subsequent naked act of genocide declared first against the Ovaherero and later against the Nama people.”
Approximately 80% of the Ovaherero and 50% of the Nama people were killed.
Rukoro emphasised that their leaders tabled a motion on the issue in the National Assembly in 2006 which was unanimously adopted.
“It was subsequently declared that what happened was a naked act of genocide. Germany owes the victims an apology and they are entitled to reparations in terms of international law. The resolution which called for discussions between Germany, representatives of the affected communities and the Namibian government however remains unimplemented to date.”
The chief further accused the Namibian and German governments of instead coming together and starting discussions, with the total exclusion of the victims.
“The reason for doing so is simple. Germany does not want to create a precedent by paying out reparations and certainly does not want to spend money to pay reparations to what it considers to be two small native nations in Southern Africa.”
Rukoro said Germany had gladly volunteered to continue supplying development aid for many more years to come. “The two governments agreed shortly after independence, via a secret agreement which was uncovered, that Germany would rather provide generous development aid instead of paying reparations to the Ovaherero and Nama people. German development aid thus makes the payment of reparations void and hence the need to exclude the two representatives of the victim groups from discussions between the two governments.”
The chief had previously stated that an apology without reparations would constitute a phenomenal insult to the intelligence of Namibians and the descendants of the victim communities.
Due to this situation the Ovaherero and Nama tribes had no other option to pursue other avenues to hold Germany accountable and decided to take legal action.
A legal suit for genocide, illegally confiscating livestock and the property of ancestors, which would have been inherited by those alive today, was filed in a federal court in New York.
The case was postponed to 3 May to give Germany an opportunity to prepare a defence.
“We will emerge victorious one day. The youth will move back to the land that was once occupied by their ancestors. If we are not victorious in court, we will come back and launch a different level of struggle.”
OTIS FINCK
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