Tujoromajo Kasuto
The Ancestral Land Foundation of Namibia (ALFON) is cautioning Government against using tribal manoeuvres in applying international law principles and human rights principles or risk facing indictment.
Addressing a media conference today, Sir-Welcome Kazondunge, founder of ALFON is further demanding for a mature dialogue between the local German community and the affected communities on ancestral land, land dispossession, historic injustices, and sacred sites of significant value to the affected communities, including grave sites, the use indigenous names and artificial names and artifacts for commercial purposes as part of a generational commercial projects for the German descendants.
He also calls on for a demonstration of genuine remorse and sympathy with the affected communities by returning in part or whole farms stolen by the forefathers of German-speaking Namibians. He further calls on Parliament to withdraw the genocide agreement and for the Ovaherero and Nama communities, and those in the Diaspora, to renegotiate directly with German with the Namibian Government playing a facilitating role only.
The Foundation urges citizens to stand in solidarity with victims of genocide by boycotting buying goods and procuring services from all retail shops and companies implicated directly or indirectly in sponsoring the genocide, and those which profited from this crime, which they term a “heinous act of cowardice”.
Kazondunge also says resettling people in places lacking necessary resources for survival, is like “placing one on a rock bed”, thus Government needs to resettle people in places that are arable where they can practice sustainable farming.
The Foundation further says the inconsistent position of the Namibian government is not only a demonstration of the lack of depth in the study of documented historic, anthropological and archaeological records, but a national disgrace displaying insensitivity and intolerance.
The Government has lost an opportunity to stand in brave solidarity with its own citizens and be courageous to be the face of the “white supremist and neo-colonialism.”
They condemn its”lack of empathy and emotional detachment manifested in divisive tribal plots and exploitation of communicates ignorance on technical disposition.”
Subsequently the affected communities have completely lost trust in the Governments’ political aptitude, moral and ethical grounding, as well as intellectual appreciation of international status to represent the affected communities in matter a demanding undefiled wisdom, tactical endurance and deep insight of basic principles on reparations for victims of genocide as crime against humanity.
“The evident deliberate avoidance of grounding the Ovaherero and Nama genocide on international jurisprudence undermines the international legal principles of accountability, humanity, justice and the rule of law.”
In adopting a victim-oriented perspective Kazondunge says the international community has for more than 70 years affirmed its human solidary with victims of violations of international statutes including violation of human rights and humanity at large.
“Genocide is recognised worldwide as the most abhorrent crime and the perpetrators are classified as enemies of mankind and must be held to account and the institutions, organizations and government that directly or indirectly sponsor or aid the violations to occur should not escape liability.”
