Trust govt with genocide money – Shilunga
PDM lawmaker Kazeongere Tjeundo said “we cannot be expected to celebrate Germany's half-baked recognition of genocide because it does not come with proper atonement in the form of reparations”.
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
Deputy mines minister Kornelia Shilunga has urged the public to trust government to deal with the genocide matter and any financial proceeds that might come from it.
She said this last week while making her contribution in the National Assembly on the genocide discussions.
Germany has agreed to fund projects in Namibia worth more than N$18 billion over 30 years to atone for its role in genocide and property seizures in its then colony more than a century ago.
“Since engagements are ongoing and government continues to negotiate for improved and acceptable quantum, I strongly believe that the government must be trusted to continue dealing with this issue; obviously in a consultative manner as has been the case since the beginning,” she said.
“I do not see any reason why government should not be trusted with handling the negotiation and processes stemming from this whole matter, whether money or otherwise,” she added.
Government is elected by the Namibian people, Shilunga said, adding that the state is empowered by the constitution to carry out certain functions.
Convince us
Meanwhile, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) lawmaker Kazeongere Tjeundo believes “the onus lies with those who support this agreement to convince us, beyond reasonable doubt, as to why they think that the agreement atones the Ovaherero and Nama people under international law”.
“We cannot be expected to celebrate Germany's half-baked recognition of genocide, because it does not come with proper atonement in the form of reparations,” he said while delivering his statement on the topic.
Tjeundo said the agreement does not fulfil what was envisaged in the motion adopted by Parliament in October 2006 because “it does not atone the Ovaherero and Nama people, and will do nothing to redress the losses incurred” on those people during the genocide.
He also said the outcome of the negotiations “was a flagrant display of how unprepared the Namibian negotiating team was vis-à-vis their German counterparts”.
“It is also clear that the true intention of the Namibian negotiating team during the negotiations was to protect the current bilateral relations between the two countries at the expense of proper atonement for the Ovaherero and Nama people,” he added.
WINDHOEK
Deputy mines minister Kornelia Shilunga has urged the public to trust government to deal with the genocide matter and any financial proceeds that might come from it.
She said this last week while making her contribution in the National Assembly on the genocide discussions.
Germany has agreed to fund projects in Namibia worth more than N$18 billion over 30 years to atone for its role in genocide and property seizures in its then colony more than a century ago.
“Since engagements are ongoing and government continues to negotiate for improved and acceptable quantum, I strongly believe that the government must be trusted to continue dealing with this issue; obviously in a consultative manner as has been the case since the beginning,” she said.
“I do not see any reason why government should not be trusted with handling the negotiation and processes stemming from this whole matter, whether money or otherwise,” she added.
Government is elected by the Namibian people, Shilunga said, adding that the state is empowered by the constitution to carry out certain functions.
Convince us
Meanwhile, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) lawmaker Kazeongere Tjeundo believes “the onus lies with those who support this agreement to convince us, beyond reasonable doubt, as to why they think that the agreement atones the Ovaherero and Nama people under international law”.
“We cannot be expected to celebrate Germany's half-baked recognition of genocide, because it does not come with proper atonement in the form of reparations,” he said while delivering his statement on the topic.
Tjeundo said the agreement does not fulfil what was envisaged in the motion adopted by Parliament in October 2006 because “it does not atone the Ovaherero and Nama people, and will do nothing to redress the losses incurred” on those people during the genocide.
He also said the outcome of the negotiations “was a flagrant display of how unprepared the Namibian negotiating team was vis-à-vis their German counterparts”.
“It is also clear that the true intention of the Namibian negotiating team during the negotiations was to protect the current bilateral relations between the two countries at the expense of proper atonement for the Ovaherero and Nama people,” he added.
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