Tomorrow, October 4, is the third anniversary of one of the foremost historical epochs in post-independence Namibia.
Yes, generally October may also be considered an important month, especially in terms of seasonal variations. Because as they would poetically say in the Afrikaans language “die mooiste mooiste maand” (the most beautiful month). This is for the romantically inclined. Not to mention this month is a fun filled one for beer lovers as it is associated with a beer festival, especially among Germans, including German-speaking Namibians. But reference hereby is on a more serious and different note and tone. Wednesday of this week, October 2, marked the day when the then Commander of imperial Germany’s armed forces in the then German Sudwes Afrika, as Namibian was then known, General Lothar von Trotha, announced the infamous extermination order against a section of the Namibian people, namely the Ovaherero. That was exactly 110 years ago on Wednesday. This order was announced on October 2, 1904, at a place today known as Ozombuzovindimba, about 20 kilometres east-north of the new town, or soon be declared as the town of Otjinene in the Otjinene Constituency in the Omaheke Region.
But exactly three years tomorrow, October 4, is when the first 21 skulls of Namibian people landed at Hosea Kutako International Airport from the Federal Republic of Germany in 2011. That repatriation was seen as heralding a new chapter in Namibian-German relations, if not in the least, opening a new window of opportunity, especially regarding the issue of genocide and reparations. But three years down the line, such hopes and expectations seem to have dissipated altogether, and there has been little reference, or/and no reference at all to this vexed question. Not only by the Namibians and German-Namibians, and German people in general but also by both the Namibian and German states and governments.
Despite the post-independence seemingly cordial bilateral relations between Namibia and Germany, which constantly and continuously have been coughed and cast in terms of the past historic relations between the two countries, when appropriately interpreted and understood is the colonial link between the two countries, and the attendant question of genocide of the Namibian people. Attendant to this colonial history are the different extermination orders, the foremost documented and known ones being against the Ovaherero and Nama. Yet, Namibian and German bilateral relations seem to have been delinked from and oblivious to such historicity. If not blatantly so, at least implicitly, especially in Namibian-German diplomatic circles. As a result of this stance, the momentum that seemed to have been created with the repatriation of the first 21 skulls in 2011, seems to have dissipated altogether. It seems, at least for now, that it shall never be resuscitated again. This is of course unless the concerned and affected communities take a bold step against this seeming impasse on the issue of genocide and reparations. There’s no hiding the fact that the current impasse is primarily a result of the chicaneries of the Berlin government, coupled with the seeming cautious approach of our Namibian government towards the issue. Earlier this month another consignment of skulls were repatriated but this time around, in order to pre-empt the momentum that was created with the 2011 repatriation, the matter was dealt with in a highly Machiavellian and secretive manner, to avoid any undue publicity and perceived embarrassment to the Berlin government.
The diplomatic grapevine once again has it, that another consignment is due soon. But this, true to the agenda of secrecy that seems to have been driven by Berlin, not much seems to be known about this. And the reason is obvious.
To keep the issue of genocide and reparations under wraps, and under the carpet. But the agenda of Berlin and allies, as has been proven before, shall never break the spirits and resoluteness of the Namibian people. Not while they have dedicated and uncompromising leaders like Chief Dawid Frederick, and others. Not to mention Chief Kamutuua Kandorozu and the indomitable young spirits of Thabo Appolus and like minded fellows in South Africa. And of course the hordes of direct descendants of the victims in Namibia as well as in Botswana. One would have thought, and with no doubt which must have been the wish of Berlin, and many other detractors, and even some within a section of the affected communities, that the passing of the champion of repartions, the late Paramount Chief of the Ovaherero, Kuaima Riruako, the genocide and reparations movement have been dealt the death knell. But it seems the ancestors have got their own way of looking after their own. Because today it seems the reparations movement is destined on a different and more-forward looking, if not completely a radical pedestal.
Different strands of the Reparations movement seem all the more to be rallying together, gearing towards a united voice. All that remains to be done is to consolidate this united and coordinated voice and to transform it into a united and synchonised plan of actions.