Hereros back Pohamba’s decision not to endorse German reparation deal

THE Ovaherero Genocide Committee has supported a move by President Hifikepunye Pohamba not to sign a reparation agreement valued at N$160 million, presented to him during his visit to Germany this week.

Despite not knowing the terms of the agreement presented to the Namibian Government, the committee said Pohamba had acted with “wisdom, foresight, sensitivity and diplomatic finesse”. Speaking in Windhoek yesterday, the committee said they were not interested in any reparation offers, until the German Government agreed to an open dialogue with them on the genocide issue.”We have never entertained the illusion that the apology offered by the German Federal Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, during the centenary celebrations of the genocide of our people at Ohamakari last year, may have been genuine.Nevertheless, we gave the German Minister and her government the benefit of the doubt.However, the German government has done nothing since that apology to dispel our misgivings about the genuineness of the Minister’s apology,” said the committee’s official spokesperson, Edwin Kanguatjivi.”We have been killed and robbed of our land.We need to talk.”A German spokesperson told news agencies this week that the German government was surprised that Pohamba had declined to sign the agreement, as the text had been agreed to beforehand.Speaking to The Namibian on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marco Hausiku said the German government had been too hasty on the agreement and that Government first wanted to consult the affected communities before signing.The German government has offered Namibia 20 million Euros over ten years – but without labelling the offer as reparations.The genocide committee said it was not willing to accept the so-called “reconciliation initiative” offered by Germany and stood by its position that the Ovaherero are owed reparations for their suffering.The genocide committee said it needed to discuss with the Germans what the state of their livelihood would have been today had it not been for the genocide, and exactly how much land they had lost, if they were to decide on an amount for reparations.”We have no problem with reconciliation, but we want reparation,” said Kanguatjivi.It termed the German government’s move to have Pohamba sign the agreement this week as “Machiavellian” and said it was indicative that the German government did not understand their suffering.The reconciliation initiative, the committee said, was in their view an attempt by Germany to divert attention from the genocide and reparations.The committee called on the Namibian Government to facilitate the dialogue.”Instead of seriously engaging our leaders in a dialogue to start talking about the damages our forefathers and mothers suffered at the hands of German soldiers, the dialogue remains [as] elusive as ever, more than a year after the much-trumpeted apology,” said Kanguatjivi.Kanguatjivi said the reconciliation initiative should be seen as a separate issue to the demand for reparations.Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako met Pohamba last month to outline their stance on the reparation issue.Pohamba is scheduled to return from his weeklong state visit to Germany over the weekend.Speaking in Windhoek yesterday, the committee said they were not interested in any reparation offers, until the German Government agreed to an open dialogue with them on the genocide issue.”We have never entertained the illusion that the apology offered by the German Federal Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, during the centenary celebrations of the genocide of our people at Ohamakari last year, may have been genuine.Nevertheless, we gave the German Minister and her government the benefit of the doubt.However, the German government has done nothing since that apology to dispel our misgivings about the genuineness of the Minister’s apology,” said the committee’s official spokesperson, Edwin Kanguatjivi.”We have been killed and robbed of our land.We need to talk.”A German spokesperson told news agencies this week that the German government was surprised that Pohamba had declined to sign the agreement, as the text had been agreed to beforehand.Speaking to The Namibian on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Marco Hausiku said the German government had been too hasty on the agreement and that Government first wanted to consult the affected communities before signing.The German government has offered Namibia 20 million Euros over ten years – but without labelling the offer as reparations.The genocide committee said it was not willing to accept the so-called “reconciliation initiative” offered by Germany and stood by its position that the Ovaherero are owed reparations for their suffering.The genocide committee said it needed to discuss with the Germans what the state of their livelihood would have been today had it not been for the genocide, and exactly how much land they had lost, if they were to decide on an amount for reparations.”We have no problem with reconciliation, but we want reparation,” said Kanguatjivi.It termed the German government’s move to have Pohamba sign the agreement this week as “Machiavellian” and said it was indicative that the German government did not understand their suffering.The reconciliation initiative, the committee said, was in their view an attempt by Germany to divert attention from the genocide and reparations.The committee called on the Namibian Government to facilitate the dialogue.”Instead of seriously engaging our leaders in a dialogue to start talking about the damages our forefathers and mothers suffered at the hands of German soldiers, the dialogue remains [as] elusive as ever, more than a year after the much-trumpeted apology,” said Kanguatjivi.Kanguatjivi said the reconciliation initiative should be seen as a separate issue to the demand for reparations.Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako met Pohamba last month to outline their stance on the reparation issue.Pohamba is scheduled to return from his weeklong state visit to Germany over the weekend.