A Need to Engage Namibia's History
By: ALFREDO TJIURIMO HENGARIGERMAN chancellor Gerhard Schroeder undertook an African safari of four African countries, his first since assuming office.
Namibia was a noticeable omission.
It was an opportunity for Schroeder and his two hundred-plus
business entourage to consolidate business relations with Namibia
and even break new ground.
Most importantly, such an exclusion, carefully crafted,
presented a missed symbolic opportunity for Germany to pay respect
and homage, even a possible apology for what historians have termed
the biggest genocide committed on African soil during colonial
times.
Grosso modo, the indifference with which Germany has treated the
1904 genocide is not only a humiliation of the Ovaherero people,
but Namibia as a whole.
This is an issue, which calls for urgent domestic and foreign
policy action on the part of the actors involved.
Germany has gone a long way elsewhere towards assuaging its
relations with countries, which were victims of Nazi era
aggression.
Within a coherent foreign policy framework, Germany has offered
its unconditional apologies for its shameful wartime past.
In fact, Schroeder recently declared himself pleased at the
invitation he got from President Chirac of France to join other
leaders for the 60th anniversary of the Allied landing in
Normandy.
An event meant to honour the Americans, British and Canadians
who stormed the beaches of Normandy to liberate France and Europe
from the German yoke.
Apparently former Chancellor Helmut Kohl was frustrated in his
efforts to secure such an invitation.
Yet, the German Government would at the highest level ignore the
centenary of an uprising in which tens of thousands of people were
slaughtered.
There is something not right with this picture.
Germany could learn from the Belgian Prime Minister, Guy
Verhofstadt, who visited Rwanda in 2000 to offer apologies for not
having done enough to prevent the genocide.
He is expected to visit Kigali again in April to attend the 10th
anniversary of the massacre.
The contexts are different, but the actions speak of humility
and admission for having been a colonial power that accentuated
divisions in one way or the other.
Tellingly, it is absurd for our Government, and, more so the
German government, to wish that the demands of the Ovaherero people
for just recognition of this atrocious past will evaporate quietly
without any meaningful robust policy engagement.
Judging from the current discussion, it is an issue that
threatens to tear apart the political and social fabric of Namibia
if not dealt with.
Comments on this issue in the pages of this newspaper ranged
from the banal to the provocative and the serious.
A priori, one would believe that the matter is not beyond
innovative solutions and a three-way diplomatic solution is
possible to break the impasse.
Firstly, it is important for Government, as custodian of the
interests of the people, to realise that the Ovaherero deadlock
with Germany needs to be resolved.
The raison d'être of any government is to find solutions
to problems which undermine its very existence.
Government action or inaction with regard to this question has
been ad-hoc and the consequences are being felt diplomatically.
The omission of Namibia from Schroeder's African jamboree could
be a case in point.
It was a loss in both business and political terms.
Government has thus possibly inadvertently allowed an issue of
that nature to shape German foreign policy vis-a-vis Namibia in one
way or the other.
Therefore, government intervention is urgent to reshape its
relations with Germany by engaging the issue of the Ovaherero
genocide.
On its part, the Namibian Government in recent months has gone a
long way to creating a rapprochement by agreeing to issue stamps
and considering the possibility of erecting a memorial to that
effect.
That marks only the beginning of finding solutions within our
democratic franchise.
Second, a national dialogue is needed where the Ovaherero people
could be requested to drop any further class actions and demands
for compensation against Germany or German companies in return for
an apology.
The proponents of this fatal route could be reminded that
compensation that would advance development of one ethnic group is
contrary to the letter and spirit of a new Namibia and the
consolidation of a multi-ethnic society.
Political point scoring and appeal to bigotry by using the
Ovaherero genocide is also an insult to those we seek to honour for
their role in Namibia's primary resistance against colonialism.
This is a matter beyond the NUDO party politics of Chief Riruako
and company.
Thirdly, after a national consensus, the chiefs and incumbents
of Namibian diplomacy would engage Germany to request an
apology.
Such a framework would also present other innovative commitments
on the part of Germany to fund initiatives marked to honour the
genocide.
The stakes are simply too high, as we have seen, for this matter
to be allowed to solve itself - it won't.
Let the actors engage meaningfully in closing this very sad
chapter of German colonial history in Namibia.
The lack of engagement could set a dangerous precedent and could
result in extremis of the eclipse of democratic space.
* The writer of this opinion piece, Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari, is
currently studying at the Universite de Paris-Sorbonne, Paris,
France
It was an opportunity for Schroeder and his two hundred-plus
business entourage to consolidate business relations with Namibia
and even break new ground.Most importantly, such an exclusion,
carefully crafted, presented a missed symbolic opportunity for
Germany to pay respect and homage, even a possible apology for what
historians have termed the biggest genocide committed on African
soil during colonial times.Grosso modo, the indifference with which
Germany has treated the 1904 genocide is not only a humiliation of
the Ovaherero people, but Namibia as a whole.This is an issue,
which calls for urgent domestic and foreign policy action on the
part of the actors involved.Germany has gone a long way elsewhere
towards assuaging its relations with countries, which were victims
of Nazi era aggression.Within a coherent foreign policy framework,
Germany has offered its unconditional apologies for its shameful
wartime past.In fact, Schroeder recently declared himself pleased
at the invitation he got from President Chirac of France to join
other leaders for the 60th anniversary of the Allied landing in
Normandy.An event meant to honour the Americans, British and
Canadians who stormed the beaches of Normandy to liberate France
and Europe from the German yoke.Apparently former Chancellor Helmut
Kohl was frustrated in his efforts to secure such an
invitation.Yet, the German Government would at the highest level
ignore the centenary of an uprising in which tens of thousands of
people were slaughtered.There is something not right with this
picture.Germany could learn from the Belgian Prime Minister, Guy
Verhofstadt, who visited Rwanda in 2000 to offer apologies for not
having done enough to prevent the genocide.He is expected to visit
Kigali again in April to attend the 10th anniversary of the
massacre.The contexts are different, but the actions speak of
humility and admission for having been a colonial power that
accentuated divisions in one way or the other.Tellingly, it is
absurd for our Government, and, more so the German government, to
wish that the demands of the Ovaherero people for just recognition
of this atrocious past will evaporate quietly without any
meaningful robust policy engagement.Judging from the current
discussion, it is an issue that threatens to tear apart the
political and social fabric of Namibia if not dealt with.Comments
on this issue in the pages of this newspaper ranged from the banal
to the provocative and the serious.A priori, one would believe that
the matter is not beyond innovative solutions and a three-way
diplomatic solution is possible to break the impasse.Firstly, it is
important for Government, as custodian of the interests of the
people, to realise that the Ovaherero deadlock with Germany needs
to be resolved.The raison d'être of any government is to find
solutions to problems which undermine its very existence.Government
action or inaction with regard to this question has been ad-hoc and
the consequences are being felt diplomatically.The omission of
Namibia from Schroeder's African jamboree could be a case in
point.It was a loss in both business and political terms.Government
has thus possibly inadvertently allowed an issue of that nature to
shape German foreign policy vis-a-vis Namibia in one way or the
other.Therefore, government intervention is urgent to reshape its
relations with Germany by engaging the issue of the Ovaherero
genocide.On its part, the Namibian Government in recent months has
gone a long way to creating a rapprochement by agreeing to issue
stamps and considering the possibility of erecting a memorial to
that effect.That marks only the beginning of finding solutions
within our democratic franchise.Second, a national dialogue is
needed where the Ovaherero people could be requested to drop any
further class actions and demands for compensation against Germany
or German companies in return for an apology.The proponents of this
fatal route could be reminded that compensation that would advance
development of one ethnic group is contrary to the letter and
spirit of a new Namibia and the consolidation of a multi-ethnic
society.Political point scoring and appeal to bigotry by using the
Ovaherero genocide is also an insult to those we seek to honour for
their role in Namibia's primary resistance against colonialism.This
is a matter beyond the NUDO party politics of Chief Riruako and
company.Thirdly, after a national consensus, the chiefs and
incumbents of Namibian diplomacy would engage Germany to request an
apology.Such a framework would also present other innovative
commitments on the part of Germany to fund initiatives marked to
honour the genocide.The stakes are simply too high, as we have
seen, for this matter to be allowed to solve itself - it won't.Let
the actors engage meaningfully in closing this very sad chapter of
German colonial history in Namibia.The lack of engagement could set
a dangerous precedent and could result in extremis of the eclipse
of democratic space.* The writer of this opinion piece, Alfredo
Tjiurimo Hengari, is currently studying at the Universite de
Paris-Sorbonne, Paris, France