Herero genocide motion adopted

THE National Assembly yesterday adopted without any objections a motion dealing with the genocide inflicted by German colonial rule on Namibians a century ago.

The motion called for the issue to be debated and for dialogue with Germany on reparations. Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako tabled the motion a month ago and 13 MPs, mainly from the opposition parties, contributed to the debate.In his short reply, Riruako thanked the House for debating the motion in a mature manner.”The debate highlighted that what happened to our people during 1904 and 1908 as a result of General Lothar von Trotha’s extermination order was a brutal act of genocide sanctioned by the German government of the day and that our people are entitled to demand the payment of reparations from the German government,” Riruako said.It further emerged during the debate over the past four weeks that the Namibian Government should be an interested party in any discussion between its nationals and Germany on the issue of reparations, while a dialogue should be held between both governments and representatives of those Namibian communities who were affected by the genocide, Riruako added.”(We should) try and resolve this matter amicably and thereby strengthen and solidify the existing excellent relations between the two countries,” the Herero Chief emphasised.Adopting the motion was the absolute minimum that could be done as a legislative body “to honour the memory of our ancestors who laid the foundation for the war of liberation that led to our Independence on March 21 1990″, Riruako concluded.Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako tabled the motion a month ago and 13 MPs, mainly from the opposition parties, contributed to the debate.In his short reply, Riruako thanked the House for debating the motion in a mature manner.”The debate highlighted that what happened to our people during 1904 and 1908 as a result of General Lothar von Trotha’s extermination order was a brutal act of genocide sanctioned by the German government of the day and that our people are entitled to demand the payment of reparations from the German government,” Riruako said.It further emerged during the debate over the past four weeks that the Namibian Government should be an interested party in any discussion between its nationals and Germany on the issue of reparations, while a dialogue should be held between both governments and representatives of those Namibian communities who were affected by the genocide, Riruako added.”(We should) try and resolve this matter amicably and thereby strengthen and solidify the existing excellent relations between the two countries,” the Herero Chief emphasised.Adopting the motion was the absolute minimum that could be done as a legislative body “to honour the memory of our ancestors who laid the foundation for the war of liberation that led to our Independence on March 21 1990”, Riruako concluded.