Von François statue under spotlight

EDUCATION and culture minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa has advised the Windhoek Municipality to consider leaving or taking down the mustachioed Curt Karl von François in German military uniform statue in front of the City’s head office.

Hanse-Himarwa made the call on Thursday in parliament while responding to concerns by Swanu president Usutuaije Maamberua, who in April this year described the statue as “an abomination” that should be removed because it celebrates colonial atrocities against Namibians.

The culture minister asked the city to evaluate the presence of the statue, considering “the historical, economic and novelty value of this statue and weigh that against the painful past that Namibians have suffered under the hands of people like Von Francois”.

Von François, who led a group of German colonial troops sent to Namibia in 1889, built a fort in Windhoek in 1890. This earned him the title of “Founder of Windhoek” although Jonker Afrikaner had established a settlement in the area of the current Klein Windhoek around 1840 already. After he was put in charge of German South-West Africa (Namibia), Von François ordered a bloody attack on the headquarters of Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi at Hoornkranz, west of Rehoboth, on 12 April 1893. With 78 women and children among the people the German attackers killed at Hoornkranz, the German forces and Von François were condemned internationally for carrying out a massacre.

The Von François statue does not form part of the national monuments under the culture ministry, since it’s a municipal statue erected on 18 October 1965.

The minister said she could only infer from this fact that the statue was not erected as a direct celebration of colonial atrocities, but perhaps out of a distorted notion of the founding of Windhoek.

“Therefore, it can in no way be a celebration of German colonial atrocities,” she said.

Hanse-Himarwa said lawmakers need to debate the issue of colonial artefacts, but warned that the country is guided by laws and “not a country where you wake up one morning and decide to remove statues at will”.

“You will agree with me that there is a need for a collective, well thought through and systematic response to colonial artefacts. Let us engage as lawmakers on the best modalities to deal with issues such as the ones you raised in your questions,” she said.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.