Germany should apologise like Australia: Herero

THE German government should follow the recent example of the Australian government, which apologised to the indigenous Aborigines for atrocities committed against them, and render an apology to the Herero and Nama people, Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako said on Wednesday night.

“The meritorious apology offered by the Prime Minister of Australia last month should encourage and arouse the conscience of the German people and their government to do the same to us for the crime of genocide a century ago and reinforce it with reparations,” Riruako said at a joint news conference with Nama chiefs at a Windhoek hotel. “Doing so would be the right thing, for which German Chancellor Angela Merkel might qualify for a Nobel peace prize,” the Chief added.Riruako and other Herero chiefs last December united with Nama chiefs, their former enemies before the colonial era, to jointly call on Germany for an apology and reparations.Hereros waged an anti-colonial war in early 1904 and the Namas in October 1905.Thousands of them were imprisoned in concentration camps until 1908, succumbing to hunger and harsh climatic conditions.According to Chief Riruako, there was no difference between the holocaust of Nazi Germany against Jews and the Nama-Herero genocide of colonial Germany in then South West Africa.”We urge the Namibian Government to encourage Germany to apologise and compensate us,” Riruako said.A member of the Herero community, Edwin Kanguatjivi, said at the same occasion that it was also time for German-speaking Namibians, many of whom were descendants of former colonial officials, to speak out.”We want to know where they stand; they have been silent for so long,” Kanguatjivi said.The Nama and Herero chiefs will now send a letter to the German and Namibian governments containing their plea to Berlin.”Doing so would be the right thing, for which German Chancellor Angela Merkel might qualify for a Nobel peace prize,” the Chief added.Riruako and other Herero chiefs last December united with Nama chiefs, their former enemies before the colonial era, to jointly call on Germany for an apology and reparations.Hereros waged an anti-colonial war in early 1904 and the Namas in October 1905.Thousands of them were imprisoned in concentration camps until 1908, succumbing to hunger and harsh climatic conditions.According to Chief Riruako, there was no difference between the holocaust of Nazi Germany against Jews and the Nama-Herero genocide of colonial Germany in then South West Africa.”We urge the Namibian Government to encourage Germany to apologise and compensate us,” Riruako said.A member of the Herero community, Edwin Kanguatjivi, said at the same occasion that it was also time for German-speaking Namibians, many of whom were descendants of former colonial officials, to speak out.”We want to know where they stand; they have been silent for so long,” Kanguatjivi said.The Nama and Herero chiefs will now send a letter to the German and Namibian governments containing their plea to Berlin.