Germany urged to find solution to ‘unfinished business of colonial rule’

GIBEON – The speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, on Saturday called on Germany to find a lasting solution to “the unfinished business of German colonial rule in Namibia”.

“I encourage the German government to find an amicable and lasting solution to the unfinished business of colonial rule in Namibia”, said Gurirab during a centenary commemoration of the death of liberation hero Hendrik Witbooi, from the Nama tribe, who was killed by a German soldier on October 29, 1905. While recognising that the German government “apologised last year for the atrocities it brought onto the Herero and the Nama-speaking Namibians”, he said that “we must be brave enough to do the right thing now and for the future”.The Herero and Nama people are asking for financial compensations from Germany and Chief Hendrik Witbooi, a great-grandson of the former liberation hero, urged Berlin to heal the wounds of the past.”We are not yet party to any reparation claim but we expect that justice will be done to compensate for the losses we suffered,” he said.German Ambassador Wolfgang Massing, who attended the commemoration that took place in the tiny southern village of Gibeon, paid tribute to Hendrik Witbooi, whom he called a “brave and visionary leader”.”Chief Witbooi’s dream of liberation from oppression finally came true at Namibia’s independence in 1990.Witbooi did not succeed this goal in his lifetime but he passed the courage and inspiration to future generations,” he said.About 3 000 people of the Nama tribe came to Gibeon to commemorate their leader.In the morning, 80 men and boys on horseback re-enacted the battle of a hundred years ago with German imperial troops during which their chief was killed.Witbooi, whose portrait is displayed on all Namibian bank notes, became the traditional leader of his group.The chief and his warrior horsemen caused the German colonial administration a lot of trouble in Robin Hood style, robbing their oxwagons loaded with supplies coming from the coast to Windhoek.After the Herero ethnic group started their uprising in January 1904 against German colonial rule, the Nama under Witbooi followed suit in October of the same year.A year later, on October 29, 1905, a German soldier shot the 75-year-old Witbooi during a battle in southern Namibia.-Nampa-AFPWhile recognising that the German government “apologised last year for the atrocities it brought onto the Herero and the Nama-speaking Namibians”, he said that “we must be brave enough to do the right thing now and for the future”.The Herero and Nama people are asking for financial compensations from Germany and Chief Hendrik Witbooi, a great-grandson of the former liberation hero, urged Berlin to heal the wounds of the past.”We are not yet party to any reparation claim but we expect that justice will be done to compensate for the losses we suffered,” he said.German Ambassador Wolfgang Massing, who attended the commemoration that took place in the tiny southern village of Gibeon, paid tribute to Hendrik Witbooi, whom he called a “brave and visionary leader”.”Chief Witbooi’s dream of liberation from oppression finally came true at Namibia’s independence in 1990.Witbooi did not succeed this goal in his lifetime but he passed the courage and inspiration to future generations,” he said.About 3 000 people of the Nama tribe came to Gibeon to commemorate their leader.In the morning, 80 men and boys on horseback re-enacted the battle of a hundred years ago with German imperial troops during which their chief was killed.Witbooi, whose portrait is displayed on all Namibian bank notes, became the traditional leader of his group.The chief and his warrior horsemen caused the German colonial administration a lot of trouble in Robin Hood style, robbing their oxwagons loaded with supplies coming from the coast to Windhoek.After the Herero ethnic group started their uprising in January 1904 against German colonial rule, the Nama under Witbooi followed suit in October of the same year.A year later, on October 29, 1905, a German soldier shot the 75-year-old Witbooi during a battle in southern Namibia.-Nampa-AFP