Ovaherero chief calls for justice and recognition on Genocide Remembrance Day – Windhoek Observer 04-10-2024

Windhoek Observer report OvaHerero Chief Katjiua justice Genocide Remembrance Day commemoration extermination order Lothar von Trotha 2 October 1904 Namibia

“Ovaherero chief calls for justice and recognition on Genocide Remembrance Day

[4 October 2024; ed.] Niël Terblanché

The Ovaherero Genocide Remembrance Day is commemorated annually on 2 October to honour the victims of one of the first genocides of the 20th century.

The day reflects on the tragic events that led to the near extermination of the Ovaherero people by German colonial forces in 1904-1908.

Dr Mutjinde Katjua, Ombara Otjitambi of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, delivered a special address during the commemoration of the atrocities in Swakopmund on Wednesday.

This is despite the government having declared 28 May as Genocide Remembrance Day, and it will be considered a public holiday effective from 2025.

Katjua reminded the gathered audience, including members from South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, as well as those joining virtually from around the world, of the genocide that began on 2 October 1904, when Germany declared its intent to exterminate the Ovaherero.

[…]

“The graves of our ancestors have been built upon, a gross violation of their memory,” he said, decrying the lack of recognition and protection for these sacred sites.

The Swakopmund concentration camp site, where many perished, has seen housing developments built on top of the graves of those who died in captivity.

[…]

Katjua criticised the German government’s failure to fully acknowledge the genocide and its reluctance to offer meaningful reparations.

He also expressed frustration with the Namibian government, which he accused of downplaying the genocide’s significance and failing to support the Ovaherero’s demands for recognition and reparations.

[…]

He called on the Ovaherero and Nama peoples to stand united in their pursuit of reparations and the restitution of their ancestral lands.

[…]”.

 

 

 

 

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