Venaani takes on Germany over genocide
• Don’t apologise and ‘pay us peanuts’, PDM leader says
The leader of the official opposition urged Germany to offer a respectable deal that allows the two countries to settle the matter and move on.
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani has rejected German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s comments that it is high time Germany accounts for its role in the 1904-1908 genocide, saying an apology does not properly address the losses Namibians suffered at the hands of that country.
Steinmeier made the comments at a memorial service held in honour of late president Hage Geingob, who was laid to rest at Heroes’ Acre on Sunday.
“They want to apologise and pay peanuts. We are saying an acceptable deal is one that is commiserate with what has been lost. Germany cannot just come with an apology and pay us peanuts. Our conversation is very simple: Give us an acceptable deal,” Venaani said.
He further urged President Nangolo Mbumba to create a working committee that would craft Namibia’s genocide demands.
“Let’s start creating a consultative workshop on this genocide so that we have coherent national interest and national policy, so that we decide what our bottom line is,” he said.
Settle it
On 28 May 2021, the German government announced that it was formally recognising the atrocities committed in Namibia as a genocide, following five years of negotiations. The declaration was made by foreign minister Heiko Maas, who also stated that Germany was asking Namibia and the descendants of genocide victims for forgiveness.
In addition to recognising the events as a genocide, Germany agreed to give - as a "gesture of recognition of the immeasurable suffering" – about N$ 22 billion in aid to the communities impacted by the genocide.
Over the weekend, Venaani said the expectation of the Namibian nation is that Germany settles the genocide matter.
“Our people are expecting that the German genocide case is settled. We plead to you when you go back [to the] negotiating table, create a respectable deal, create an honourable deal so that we can close this chapter and move on.”
Reconciliatory path
Speaking at the memorial this past weekend, Steinmeier said Germany was committed to walking a reconciliatory path with Namibia.
“My country remains committed to [Geingob’s] legacy to take the path of reconciliation, a commitment to a better future together.
“I am convinced that it is high time to tender an apology to the Namibian people,” he added.
Hitting back at Steinmeier’s remarks, genocide descendent Sima Luipert said the comments were a denial of the genocide.
“The statement of the German president... is a continued denial of the crime of genocide his country committed against the Nama and Ovaherero communities,” she said.
According to her, a joint declaration between Germany and Namibia - which Steinmeier described as ‘a new level of special relationship’ – contains “nothing special” for the Nama and Ovaherero people in the absence of reparations and legal responsibility for the crime of genocide.
“For us, the joint declaration galvanised our struggle for reparations as never before. Because it clearly shows that Germany is not prepared to atone to its crime of genocide as long as it refers to ‘a genocide from today’s perspective’.”
Hollow drum
“It’s an unfortunate and painful reminder to have heard the German president speak such hollow-drum diplomatic rhetoric,” Luipert said.
“Painful because he took our mourning to justify a genocide while pretending to recognise genocide. Only those who do not read between the lines of legal German official correspondence will believe the spoken twist of the true German position,” she added.
Between 1904 and 1908, German settlers systematically killed up to 100 000 Herero and Nama people following a popular uprising over unlawful land seizures and forced labour.
On 2 October 1904, Lieutenant-General Lothar von Trotha issued an extermination notice ordering German soldiers to kill “every male [Herero], armed or unarmed” and displace [or shoot] Herero women and children.
Steinmeier made the comments at a memorial service held in honour of late president Hage Geingob, who was laid to rest at Heroes’ Acre on Sunday.
“They want to apologise and pay peanuts. We are saying an acceptable deal is one that is commiserate with what has been lost. Germany cannot just come with an apology and pay us peanuts. Our conversation is very simple: Give us an acceptable deal,” Venaani said.
He further urged President Nangolo Mbumba to create a working committee that would craft Namibia’s genocide demands.
“Let’s start creating a consultative workshop on this genocide so that we have coherent national interest and national policy, so that we decide what our bottom line is,” he said.
Settle it
On 28 May 2021, the German government announced that it was formally recognising the atrocities committed in Namibia as a genocide, following five years of negotiations. The declaration was made by foreign minister Heiko Maas, who also stated that Germany was asking Namibia and the descendants of genocide victims for forgiveness.
In addition to recognising the events as a genocide, Germany agreed to give - as a "gesture of recognition of the immeasurable suffering" – about N$ 22 billion in aid to the communities impacted by the genocide.
Over the weekend, Venaani said the expectation of the Namibian nation is that Germany settles the genocide matter.
“Our people are expecting that the German genocide case is settled. We plead to you when you go back [to the] negotiating table, create a respectable deal, create an honourable deal so that we can close this chapter and move on.”
Reconciliatory path
Speaking at the memorial this past weekend, Steinmeier said Germany was committed to walking a reconciliatory path with Namibia.
“My country remains committed to [Geingob’s] legacy to take the path of reconciliation, a commitment to a better future together.
“I am convinced that it is high time to tender an apology to the Namibian people,” he added.
Hitting back at Steinmeier’s remarks, genocide descendent Sima Luipert said the comments were a denial of the genocide.
“The statement of the German president... is a continued denial of the crime of genocide his country committed against the Nama and Ovaherero communities,” she said.
According to her, a joint declaration between Germany and Namibia - which Steinmeier described as ‘a new level of special relationship’ – contains “nothing special” for the Nama and Ovaherero people in the absence of reparations and legal responsibility for the crime of genocide.
“For us, the joint declaration galvanised our struggle for reparations as never before. Because it clearly shows that Germany is not prepared to atone to its crime of genocide as long as it refers to ‘a genocide from today’s perspective’.”
Hollow drum
“It’s an unfortunate and painful reminder to have heard the German president speak such hollow-drum diplomatic rhetoric,” Luipert said.
“Painful because he took our mourning to justify a genocide while pretending to recognise genocide. Only those who do not read between the lines of legal German official correspondence will believe the spoken twist of the true German position,” she added.
Between 1904 and 1908, German settlers systematically killed up to 100 000 Herero and Nama people following a popular uprising over unlawful land seizures and forced labour.
On 2 October 1904, Lieutenant-General Lothar von Trotha issued an extermination notice ordering German soldiers to kill “every male [Herero], armed or unarmed” and displace [or shoot] Herero women and children.
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