Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
Though it has as yet not been confirmed officially by both the Namibian and German governments, it has emerged through the grapevine that the lives of thousands of Ovambanderu, Ovaherero and Nama, is no more worth than the pitiful billion Euros.
Not that one can really put a price on these lives but as much accepting these as justiciable and justifiable redemption of these lives, is nothing but committing a second genocide against those have already perished from the same act in 1904-1908. It is simply and literally killing a dead person. Not to mention thousands and thousands of acres of land grabbed and dispossessed from the victims as well as thousands of cattle they were robbed of. All these is in the eyes of both governments only worth 1.1 billion Euros,that is about 18 billion Namibian Dollars over 30 years.
This is a figure which the Namibian government itself only spent in a year on education. Yet it expects thousands of lives lost, and the untold sufferings the Namibian people endured at the hands of colonial Germany to be soothed by the pittance offered. It is really sad that after five years of so-called negotiations, this is what the two governments could come up with. Which is nothing but an insult to repeat the groundswell sentiments of the affected communities. Not only to the intelligence of the descendants of the victim communities, but also a negation of the dear lives if the victims; goodwill of the affected communities; their leaders; their country and government.
It must be clear now to both the Namibian and German governments that initial reaction from the affected communities has been loud and clear that the deal must be rejected with the contempt and disdain it deserves. Since, this initial reaction has now groundswell into a movement with some of the traditional leaders who presumably have been part of the negotiations, although they as yet have to make their voices publicly loud and clear in this regard, are privately on record that they are not going to sign and seal the deal, thereby becoming accomplices in the second genocide of their communities.
Thus, at this juncture the question is not whether the affected communities must, should and can sign the deal. No that is goes without saying that the deal, which for that matter has only been dangled in front of them, and for their eyes briefly only, for they can not be trusted with a copy thereof, is not worth their signatures and seal. But the big question now that all bona fide and self respecting leaders of the affected communities must and should ask themselves, is witherto to now with the struggle for the government of the Federal Republic of Germany to not only acknowledge the Genocide against their forebears, nut also genuinely own up to it.
If the two governments should go ahead and sign and seal this deal they must know this is not with the approval of the affected communities but against their best will and wishes. The traditional leaders on whom the shenanigans of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany have eventually been brutally visited upon them with what Germany thought would be the last round of negotiations, can simply not keep quiet but come forth and make their voice heard loud and clear that the so-called deal is not deal at all but a trampling of the spirits of their ancestors.
Deep down in their hearts, our traditional leaders knows this deal is just an insult to them and indeed the entire Namibian nation. But they cannot keep quiet but must make their voice heard, loud and clear, and show Germany that they are in indeed leaders of dignity and honour with the best interest of their communities at heart. Interests not be served by quick fix solutions like the proposed deal. But first and foremost by doing what is in the best interest of their communities in the long run. This long run being seeing to it that the ancestral blood keep flaming the troch of reparations, and their spirits embolden the resolve and determination of the leaders of the affected communities till the end. This end being acknowledgement of the act of Genocide by Germany for the genocide against their ancestors. Certainly the spirits of the ancestors are looking upon the traditional leaders, especially now with this sham of a deal destined and designed to once again subject the victim communities to a second ge
nocide.
In this hour when the two governments seem in a haste to put pen to paper and sign the deal for reasons only known to them, the traditional leaders of the Ovambanderu, Ovaherero and Nama, indeed have the key in their hands. To at once stop the shenanigans of the two governments by not signing the deal and by initiating and spearheading a fresh and genuine consensual approach inclusive of all affected, including those in the Diaspora of especially Botswana And South Africa, to the issue of genocide and reparations. Starting with a national conference on genocide to map the way forward. Because the refusal to sign the deal by no means the end of the matter but a new legitimate initiative led by the intelligentsia of the affected communities, and with international solidarity, to chart a new progressive and purposeful course on genocide and reparations. By not signing the deal, the traditional leaders shall once and for all be sending a clear message to both the Namibian and German governments that their pin
g pong has come to an end. That the affected communities by ancestral divine, wants so see closure on this matter.
