Back in 1884 at the Berlin Conference convened by Kaiser Wilhelm to carve up the African continent amongst European countries, Germany held on to the territory which came to be known as German Sudwest Africa. This quickly turned into a serious catastrophe of unimaginable proportions for particularly the innocent Herero and Nama-speaking people who inhabited the precious land at the time when an Extermination Order was issued by the notorious German General of Schutztruppe Lotha von Trotha in 1904 and 1905, respectively.

The fight against colonialism, as is well-known, was led by Supreme Chief Samuel Maharero, who invigorated Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi for them to “Die Fighting” against German colonial rule. The Blue Book extensively documents the genocidal atrocities of that time which caused the annihilation of 80% of the Herero and 50% of the Nama people, specifically because of the Extermination Orders. At the time of the Genocide, the Herero and Nama people who were also incarcerated in the notorious concentration camps, were being forced to scrape the heads of their relatives killed by the German colonial troops under the orders of Von Trotha, to be send to Germany for ´scientific examination.’ The roads, railroads and other infrastructure would be built with the sweat and blood of the Herero and Nama. Other genocidal atrocities, such as the rape of our great-great-great-grandmothers, enslavement, poisoning, etc. are well-documented. This will become the first Genocide of the Twentieth Century, and the precursor to the Jewish Holocaust in Europe. The Hereros and Namas suffered the same fate under the same perpetrator, i.e. the German regime of the second and third Reich, within the first four decades of that century.

Fast forward to 2022, 118 years after the Genocide was committed, and the Herero and Nama people are miraculously still on the face of the earth today when the tribalist, racist and greedy ones (who today salivate on their ancestral land) had wished them away. They have recovered on their own, held their own in many facets of life, and still continued to fight against colonial occupation and apartheid, along with others who came to appear late on the liberation struggle scene. Their plight of over a century never received the attention it deserves, even under the new Namibian regime after independence. 

At the initiative of the descendants of the victims of Genocide, in 2006, a resolution was passed in the Namibian parliament, and directed that negotiations be convened with Germany to seek recognition that Genocide took place, an Apology be issued, and Reparations be paid to the living generations. After much struggle with Germany, a breakthrough was made to start the negotiations. What took six years to negotiate eventually yielded an offer that was considered a pittance by the affected communities, although the Namibian government in its utter naivety wanted to accept the deal, and even went to the extent of cornering some of the chiefs to accept it. 

We have learned that in May 2021, there were some ‘brave’ chiefs who rejected the deal. As young people and fourth and fifth generations of the descendants of the victims of Genocide, it puzzles us that the negotiations have been dead, almost going for two years. Shall we say, after rejection, there was no forward strategy? It is also very strange that there were those who didn’t quite understand the package but accepted. 

But beyond that, one would question what the chiefs who rejected the deal have done so far to advance the negotiations and hold the Namibian and German governments accountable. 

We see the issue now as effectively dead with no hope of resuscitation as those whom we presumed to be fighting for us comfortably went to bed, enjoying their government salaries. It appears to us young people that the chiefs and the Namibian government are seriously aloof of the matter, and have effectively given Germany a honeymoon to enjoy. Surely, not everyone will agree on everything. It is also true that not everyone has taken the position to be part of the tripartite negotiations since there are trivial and never-ending differences that have existed since ancient days which have never been resolved, influenced by politics and power struggles. 

As young people who are descendants of the victims of Genocide, we are unequivocally demanding that the negotiations be restarted immediately without any delay, regardless of the inner differences, politics of trivial arguments, opinions and whatever else. 

What is paramount is that this is one of the most important issues of the 20th Century, which deserves the number one attention of the chiefs and government, whom if they don’t put pressure on Germany, we will begin to consider that they have given the Germans an infinite holiday, hence our loss of trust in the process. The lives and sacrifices of our forefathers and foremothers are of utmost importance, and we can’t wait another minute for a recompense. We demand action now.

* Written by Fourth Generation Descendants of the Victims of the 1904-08 Genocide.