Finally, a Public Day to Memorialise Our Genocide Victims –Namibian (Opinion) 09-06-2024

Commentary Namibian activist Jephta Nguherimo welcome 28 May Genocide Remembrance Day

“Finally, a Public Day to Memorialise Our Genocide Victims

By Jephta Uavavaera Nguherimo

9 June 2024

Declaring 28 May a public holiday in remembrance of the 1904-08 genocide against the herero and Nama people by Germans is a small but significant victory worth celebrating.

As one of many activists who has highlighted the contradiction of our government purporting to negotiate on behalf of colonial genocide victims while not sufficiently addressing public memorialisation and education efforts, I welcome this long overdue declaration.

I urge my fellow citizens, especially the Herero community, to mark this day as necessary in our national public memory and help herald an era of constructing a new Namibian narrative that includes different phases of our violent colonial history.

I am aware of the controversy regarding this action, including lack of proper consultation and other groups wanting a different remembrance date.

However, we shouldn’t let “perfect be the enemy of the good”.

(…)

* Jephta Uaravaera Nguherimo is an author, and founder of the OvaHerero People’s Memorial and Reconstruction Foundation Inc (opmrf.org)

 

 

 

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