Ovaherero and Nama voices must lead genocide remembrance — Nudo youth

The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) Youth League is advocating for a more inclusive and historically accurate approach to the Genocide Remembrance Day.

This includes supporting alternative dates put forward by the Nama and Ovaherero communities, the youth league said in statement in honour of the occasion on Wednesday morning.

“While the Nudo Youth League recognises the significance of 28 May as the day the German colonial forces closed the concentration camps, we believe that a more inclusive and historically accurate approach is necessary,” the statement reads.

The group suggested 2 October and 12 April as alternative dates instead as they mark the commencement of the genocide.

Their statement comes as president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah urged both the Ovaherero and Nama communities to accept 28 May as the day of remembrance decided on by the government. However, the group said the government should engage the affected communities.

“These dates are deeply rooted in the collective memory of the affected communities and reflect the true beginning of their suffering,” the statement adds.

The NUDO Youth League further called on the government to engage directly with affected communities to reconsider the structure of the observance, proposing a more comprehensive program involving affected communities, academic discourse and survivor testimonies.
It also criticised the choice of Parliament Gardens as the venue for official ceremonies, advocating instead for a rotational system that includes historically significant sites such as Ohamakari, Ozombuzovindimba, Okahandja, Swakopmund and Shark Island.

“It is imperative that the narratives of the survivors and their descendants are central to the commemoration, ensuring that the history is accurately conveyed to future generations,” the youth league says.

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