Genocide graveyard cleaned

A handful of community members turned up at a clean-up initiative at the prisoner-of-war cemetery in Swakopmund on Independence Day.
Laidlaw Peringanda, founder of the Namibian Genocide Association, said at the event that it was important for him to show respect for and to his deceased ancestors. “We sent several letters to the municipality and requested that they look after the graves. It seems they do not care, so we decided to renovate the graves at least four times a year.”
He said that many of the people buried here were captured during the war and placed in concentration camps at Lüderitz, Omaruru, Swakopmund and Windhoek.
“It is important that we remember the deceased who were buried here because they were the first freedom fighters. We will not stop looking after the graves. We also involved the youth so they can continue with the exercise.”
He expressed the hope that an international organisation would make money available next year that would enable the Namibian Genocide Association to employ four unemployed youths to look after the graves.
“A piece of the wall recently collapsed and dogs dug open four of the graves. We intend to buy bricks and cement, and repair the wall ourselves.”