Tujoromajo Kasuto
The Nama Traditional Leaders’ Association (NTLA) and the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) through its Transitional Committee (TC),has appointed Nama Traditional Leaders’ Association( NTLA) Chief and Chairman, Gaob Johannes Isaack, as a substantive litigant and Chairperson in the Ovaherero – Nama joint genocide reparation campaign and litigation, with OTAs Secretary, Mutjinde Katjiua deputising him.
“Professor Mutjinde Katjiua is appointed and endorsed as the Co-Litigant and Deputy Chairperson on behalf of the Ovaherero community, thus will henceforth deputize Gaob isaack in all matters of genocide reparation campaign and litigation,” a joint NTLA and OTA statement reads.
In the statement, the traditional leaders state that the NTLA and OTA decided collectively to ensure that the campaign for restorative justice owed to the Nama and Ovaherero people by the Federal Republic of Germany, will continue and be intensified at full force.
The statement further reads that” this arrangement will stand for the duration of the transitional period during which the Ovaherero community will nominate and endorse a successor for the Late Paramount Chief Advocate Vekuii Rukoro.”
This development follows the death of 66-year-old Ovaherero Paramount Chief, Vekuii Rukoro, who spearheaded the reparations campaign along with the NTLA. Eventually culminating in attempts to claim damages against the Federal Republic of Germany in the United States District Court, Southern District Court of New York. The US Supreme Court eventually dismissed the matter this May.
