Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
This Thursday, 28 May, which has been proclaimed by the Namibian government, of course not out of its own volition but by the mission of a GENOCIDE descendant and supported by fellow descendants, Genocide Remembrance Day (GRD) is seen for the second time being officially commemorated under the auspices of the Namibian government.
Following its gazetting in 2025, two years after descendants had been commemorating it for the near annihilation of their ancestors, for the second year running on their own. Certainly this is not the first time that the descendants are and have been and will be and shall be memorialising the experiences of their forebears under Imperial Germany’s illegal and military occupation of their mother and fatherland. The advent of Imperial Germany and its occupation of their land, preceded by the penetration of the territory then called South West Africa, which was later renamed with the official forceful occupation by Imperial Germany, German South West Africa, in the 1840s to the 1860s, consistently evidenced resistance by the indigenous people variously, severally and separately.
A process which culminated in various wars and/or battles waged by the indigenous people. In this regard, the history of South West Africa, today’s Namibia, is replete with various battles waged by the various indigenous people of today’s Namibia. First against German imperialism and subsequently against South Africa’s apartheid occupation.
Thus, in this regard, Genocide Remembrance Day (GRD), given the various anti-colonial historical epochs of resistance, marked by several battles of indigenous people, is not, cannot and shall never alone be the ultimate consummation of the resistance history of the indigenous people and their near annihilation by Imperial Germany as occasioned by their GENOCIDE.
With these different historical epochs having been since time immemorial, colonialism was imprinted in the resistance history of the country and subsequently so memorialised differently. Hence, Genocide Remembrance Day (GRD) cannot and shall not obliterate them.
As it is only a part thereof. Meaning, notwithstanding its emergence, the Namibian people shall continue to memorialise different historical epochs and events in whatever way they choose to. Thus, it must be understood that GRD is by no means a substitute for the days and/or events they, hitherto, before GRD, all along have been commemorating.
Therefore, the various days, sacred and historic to each and every one of them and to all of us and the country in general, it must be said, are still very much historical and sacrosanct as they have been. As it is within their inalienable rights and prerogatives and historical posterity and memories to memorialise them.
The 11th of June, 1896, is the day on which the Ovambanderu commemorate the execution, by Imperial Germany, of their erstwhile Paramount Chief and Diviner, Kahimemua Nguvauva. The 12th of January, 1904, is the day when erstwhile Ovaherero Paramount Chief Samuel Maharero declared and began an armed resistance against Imperial Germany in Okahandja. On the 4th of February, 1904, the Ovaherero in Omaruru joined the countrywide resistance by launching an armed resistance against Imperial Germany in what has come to be known as the war against Captain Franke or, alternatively, the Battle of Omaruru.
Towards the end of March every year, for the last 19 years, I have been seeing the annual Reparation Walk in Swakopmund to pay homage to those who perished in the concentration camps there. In April we have the 12th and 22nd of April, marking the Hornkranz Massacre against the /Khowesin Nama in 1893 and the extermination order against the Nama by Lothar von Trotha, respectively.
In May, the clan of the Kaupangua wa Mureti, this year, as they have been doing all along, once again undertook a pilgrimage to Kalkveld for their annual commemoration. Likewise, the Baster community of Rehoboth, for the 111th time, commemorated the Battle of Sam Khubis, which is annually on 7 to 8 May.
Remembering their 1915 battle against Imperial Germany. Likewise, every end-of-May weekend the !Aman clan have their festival. As much as the Gaob Festival in May and, likewise, also the Vaalgras community. Not to mention the Battle of Ohamakari in August as well as Red Flag Day the same month.
Ozombuzovindimba, the seat this year of Genocide Remembrance Day in the Omaheke Region, which is ordinarily on the 2nd of October, when in 1904 the then-imperial German commander in South West Africa issued the infamous extermination order against the Ovaherero. Also beginning in October, the White Flag has its annual pilgrimage in Omaruru, which this year is marking its centenary.
The list is endless. Thus, by no means could GRD, by any means, have been instituted to erase these historical epochs and their memorialisation. Far from it. But instead, to add zeal and respectability, if not wide recognition, to colonial atrocities, which many indigenous communities endured from colonial Germany.
Be that as it may, the Namibian government has yet to show if, indeed, it fully and honestly believes in these historical epochs, especially in the GENOCIDE for which 28 May has been proclaimed as such. Because the inaugural event last year did not testify to this. Judging from the lack of consultations of the descendants and their exclusion from the official programme except for being just mere spectators.
A spectre that seems to repeat itself this year with the regionalisation of the commemoration. When and with the descendants, they are practically only a second and/or an afterthought in the preparations and in most of the programmes, with few exceptions, if any.
Not to mention the fact that most of the regions which have been tasked with the arduous but noble task of hosting this year’s commemorations, seemingly with no allocated budgets. This is despite the fact it must have been known since last year that GRD is an annual event on the official calendar.
So much for business unusual. Looks like in Windhoek the descendants, like they have been doing all along, have been left to their own devices in terms of making this day respectable and memorable as it is supposed to be.
Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro is a descendant of the survivors of the Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama genocide, a veteran and freelance journalist and a reparations advocate and an adherent of restorative justice.
