EDITORIAL: Shark Island dispute requires cool heads

The tension brewing between the Nama Traditional Leaders Association, the Ovaherero Traditional Authority and government over the latter’s plans to expand the port of Lüderitz should be quelled before it gets out of hand.

The two groups are of the view that the expansion plans will destroy Shark Island and subsequently erase memories of the genocide acts committed in the area between 1904-08 as well as desecrate graves located there.

With the two groups having petitioned the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) to intervene, it is a sign that not enough is being done internally to find a solution to this impasse.

Sites such as Shark Island serve as a constant reminder to all Namibians about the sacrifices made by our forefathers to ensure that the country attains its liberation.

It is therefore imperative that the government prioritises consultations with affected communities when planning to construct, renovate or destroy infrastructure with sentimental, historic value.

The port expansion is an important project which will benefit the country immensely once the green hydrogen industry gets onto its feet, as it will serve as a transportation hub. Communities should thus also be reasonable in their demands.

The resistance the port expansion project is facing should not be seen as a selfish act by those calling for the preservation of Shark Island in its historic state, or as a move aimed at blocking development, but rather as a cry for consultations in order to find a mutually beneficial solution.

We should seek to find a balance on how the country’s development plans can coexist with the historic monuments on which these developments will be erected.