TLAKAMENG, SOUTH AFRICA – Very soon Ovaherero and Nama in Namibia shall no longer spearhead their quest for reparation alone but together with their kinspeople in South Africa and Botswana.
This is the common position of the Ovaherero and Nama following the observation of National Heritage Day in South Africa, which for the first time brought together Ovaherero and Nama descendants of the victims of Imperial Germany from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa here in the Northwest Province, former Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Chief organiser of the event, Kenaura Thabo Appolus, of Ovaherero descent, could not have been more clear and resolute about the purpose of the event, geared towards the resuscitation of the language and revival of the culture of these descendants of Ovaherero and Nama.
But not as an end in itself but a means towards the end as the blood of their ancestors “is haunting” them, a reference to the atrocities which the Ovaherero and Nama suffered at the hands of Imperial Germany during the 1904-1908 wars of resistance.
“Nambano tangeye Mukuru omunene tjinga ee tutjitira ovina ovinene (Now praise the Lord Almighty as he has done great things for us),” the large congregation of descendants exploded into hymning in Otjiherero, as much as few of them can speak or understand Otjiherero very well. One could not help but deduce that the expression of gratitude to the Almighty for the “great things” he has done for them could not be anything else but for the fact that despite the intention of Imperial Germany that their forebears be annihilated, some survived to give birth in foreign lands to their descendants, who are this day, after exactly 109 years after their near annihilation, re-united with their fellows. The aura of lamentation and wailing in the hymn, a lamentation of a people who seem to feel that they are still in exile, a lamentation that albeit seems to be suspended and smoothened by the union with their fellows, was equally discernible. And as the hymning of this song faded towards the end of the second verse for the Nama choir to chip in with another rendition of a hymn, the aura of a sad but proud history seemed to engulf and embrace the big tent sheltering the congregation. Co-director of ceremonies, Moses Riet, a Nama descendant, could not but admit to being close to tears hearing the wailing hymns.
Indeed the hymning was accompanied by some tears dropping from many a descendant as the hymning sunk into them the sad reality of their history. Thus it became compelling for Reverend Hambira, an Omuherero descendant from Botswana to uplift the spirits of the congregants with a strong message in his opening prayer.
“Indjo mbepo ondjapuke nu hita movakambure, vemunina nondjerera,” he led the congregants into hymning with his heavy baritone in heavy Otjiherero without much ado, correctly sensing emotions that were veering towards a brink.
“You know I finished primary school and I finished secondary school without ever thinking that Namibia was on the continent of Africa,” entered he with his sermon-cum-statement, adding: “I thought it was a place so far, we were told it was a place so far that we will never reach there again. But now I am happy that we are here, and I am sitting here on the podium with my chief, with my own Paramount Chief, close, very close to the Paramount Chief, and it is the very first time that I am sitting in a tent with my own Paramount Chief, nothing can be far. And nothing can be better and if I die today, I will go straight to heaven,” the Reverend could not hold back his elation.
He was referring to the presence of Ovaherero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako who led a small but culturally formidable delegation in full green, red and white flags and that interposed the event with their spirited battle cries.
As much there was no toning down by Reverend Hambira on the sense and mood of self re-discovery and liberation that seemed to engulf the occasion. finding inspiration on this occasion from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter Four, which he paraphrased: “But we hold this treasure in pots of earthenware, so that the immensity of the power is God’s and not our own. We are crushed from every side but not perplexed. We are hard pressed from every side but not crushed. We are perplexed but not in despair. We are persecuted but we are not abandoned. We are struck down but we are not destroyed.” To this he added, “Paul clearly describes the situation of the Ovaherero and Nama of Africa and what they had gone through.”
He said the English dictionary does not have words enough to describe “our Genocide, extinction, being cut down, being killed. There is no population in the world of which 85 percent has been cut down in a Genocide, in a war and 15 percent of us remain what we have remained, we are but a remnant of those that have gone before us.”
As much they have been repressed and crushed on every side since the occupation of their land, Reverend Hambira said as the Apostle Paul says, they have not been crushed.
Riruako pointed out that cultural re-awakening and revival by the Ovaherero and Nama people wherever they find themselves whether in Namibia, Botswana or South Africa cannot be an end in itself but a means towards the end, this end being their socio-economic reconstruction not by some foreign powers but by the people themselves.
“The challenges in this regard may be formidable but are by no means insurmountable. We must be aware that the spirits of our ancestors are calling for redemption. Part of this redemption lies in reclaiming what rightfully belongs to us. By reclaiming the land that was taken away from us. By reclaiming our culture we have been alienated from. By reclaiming our cattle that had been plundered and by foremost healing our battered souls,” said Riruako.
He goes on that part of the terms of endurance of the descendants of the victims of Genocide which still manifests itself “through economic deprivation, cultural alienation and erosion, displacements with our people scattered all over the globe, is a result of the colonial damages inflicted on us by Imperial Germany. We thus have an unfinished business with successive governments of the Federal Republic of Germany. This calls for one voice and concerted efforts if the government of the Federal Republic of Germany is to listen to us, let alone dialogue with us.”
From Namibia the Ovambanderu Paramount Chief, Queen Aletha Karikondua Nguvauva, and Omaruru Chief, Raphael Kapia, among others, were part of the Namibian delegation that attended the event. Reverend Hambira offered to host a similar event in Thsabong in North-West Botswana next year where an equally large number of Botswana of Namibian descent live and have equally been craving to re-discover their culture, including their language.
By Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro