Genocide Talks Until Justice Prevails

Justice from a legal point of view is defined as the idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly and reasonably by the law and arbiters of the law.

Additionally, laws are there to ensure that no harm befalls another, and that, where harm is alleged, remedial action is taken.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines justice as the fair treatment of people in all aspects of law.

Justice means seeking the truth and basing judgements on evidence.

When one holisticaly, realisticaly and very comprehensively digests the meaning of the word ‘justice’, especially in the genocide and reparations context, only one thing comes to mind: Justice must prevail.

This means Germany must acknowledge the human crime of genocide, unconditionaly apologise and pay just reparations to the affected communities.

This gruesome historical crime will continue to haunt Germany, just as it haunt the Nama and the Ovaherero.

Perhaps we should also look at the word ‘extermination’ again.

Scholars, academics, researchers and historians must consider this word in its full context for the world to have a proper understanding of its actual meaning.

This must happen for the sake of creating a better picture of what the first genocide of the 20th century was all about. This would enable us to also better understand why we are saying justice must prevail.

This is not just a restorative justice issue for the affected Ovaherero and Nama communities, as some may argue.

Others even downgrade talks on this very sensitive matter of indigenous relevance.

What can and must be remembered is that kaptein Hendrik Witbooi !Nanseb did not by mistake take up arms as Africa’s first tribal leader against the colonialists.

It has been 120 years since the first genocide of the 20th century, and the affected communities’ scars remain visible.

No amount of money will bring back lost lives, but talks on genocide must continue until justice prevails – even if it takes the next 120 years.

We were dignified native tribes before white settlers came and interfered.

Hence some of us are not sure whether acknowledging would be for the sake of acknowledging and whether the apology would be genuine.

Moreover, dignity does not have a price.

In the meantime, we are saying Germany must face the music and that justice must prevail.

Alvenus Dreyer