The Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) says the community’s adoption and transformation of the German army uniform symbolises resistance and the fight for reparations.
Paramount chief of one of the OTA groups, academic Mutjinde Katjiua, says the Ovaherero people now better understand their appropriation of the uniform, a move which was previously frowned upon.
“We have come a long way. Unlike during the first decade following Namibia’s independence, wearing this uniform (I have) was frowned upon by fellow Namibians.”
Katjiua was speaking at the official opening of the exhibition, ‘Inherited Testimonies: Reconstructing the Spaces of Genocides’, at the National Art Gallery of Namibia in Windhoek on Thursday.
He said as a result of the OTA’s relentless campaigns since 1993, awareness of the 1904-1908 Ovaherero and Nama genocides is widespread in Namibia, across Africa, in Germany, and beyond.
Katjiua highlighted that during the 35 years of Namibia’s independence, the OTA has resisted the marginalisation of the genocide discourse, promoted the healing of genocide scars, and sought reparations.
“These 35 years have provided us with valuable lessons, and these are: Genocide victims ought to own the process of the matters affecting them, victims should seek to own the narrative, and pave the modus operadi for attaining reparation,” he added.
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