The Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) has maintained its rejection of the Namibia-Germany joint declaration of the 1904-08 genocide, accusing the two governments of excluding the descendants of the victims from the negotiations.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, OTA paramount chief of one faction Mutjinde Katjiua said: “It cannot be about us, without us”.
He argued that the Ovaherero people must have a meaningful role in all matters concerning genocide and reparations.
Katjiua also criticised the other OTA faction of paramount chief, Hoze Riruako, who he said presents himself as paramount chief without the mandate of the Ovaherero people.
He accused the Namibian and German governments of using individuals such as Riruako to create the appearance of Ovaherero support for the joint declaration.
“No individual, no faction and no government-appointed structure has the authority to negotiate away the rights of the Ovaherero nation,” Katjiua said.
He maintained that the joint declaration contradicts the 2006 parliamentary motion, which envisaged a trilateral process involving the Namibian government, descendants of genocide victims and Germany.
According to Katjiua, the Namibian government’s role should be limited to facilitating direct negotiations between descendants and Germany.
The OTA, together with the Landless People’s Movement and the Nama Traditional Leaders Association, has taken the matter to the High Court, seeking to have the joint declaration and the National Assembly speaker’s decision to note it declared unlawful and set aside.
Katjiua further rejected government claims that the genocide was committed against all Namibians, saying the 1904 extermination order specifically targeted the Ovaherero people.
He said reparations should, therefore, accrue to and be controlled by descendants of the victims.
“The struggle continues, and justice will prevail,” Katjiua said.
