Zebaldt Ngaruka
Chief Ananias Soroseb of the Hai//omsan Royal House said his community feels left out of the discussion relating to the 1904-08 genocide committed on Namibian soil, where their forebears were among the casualties.
He said they were shocked by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s speech at the official Genocide Remembrance Day last week.
“That is why we came to the event, knowing that we are part of the affected communities. We feel excluded. The government doesn’t take us seriously, as our ancestors are first in the country,” lamented the chief.
For them, it was heartening to hear the country’s president mention only two ethnic groups, Ovaherero and Nama, as the communities massacred by the colonial oppressors in the 1904-1908 genocide.
“Mentioning two tribes is a clear message of denying others who were massacred. We, the San, are the first inhabitants of this country. We were killed before any other tribe,” he said.
He continued: “On numerous occasions, we tried to engage our government on the genocide matter – but it was all in vain. We don’t know where we are in the ongoing talks”.
The chief stated that the Hai//omsan Kaptein Fritz Aribib was the first San leader to challenge colonial Germany.
The community lived in present-day Otjozondjupa region and in places like Okorusu, Okapuka and Naedaos.
“Captain Iribib was the owner of Outjo areas up to Grootfontein. He was forced to sell Grootfontein to the Germans during the colonial period,” the chief said.
The disgruntled chief said the Hai//omsan do not have a representative in Parliament.
“We are regarded as marginalised in our country. That is something that pains us. The government must consider us, and be part of the country’s administration,” he said.
He added that Hai//omsan lost land.
The community are spread in most parts of the country due to the colonial oppression.
“Our leadership is not even recognised because we don’t have land or an area where we can be recognised from. We demand land. We are not free in the free country,” said the chief.
The leader criticised the land distribution policies, citing that the land is given or allocated to those who have land already.
“What kind of things are these? There are a lot of injustices going on in this country. We are not happy. There is no freedom,” he said.