Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
“Relative success”, this is how a fellow descendant affirmatively texted me early Friday morning after Genocide Remembrance Day (GRD).
Referencing the second official, this is the second time the government is hosting and spearheading the commemoration since its official inauguration at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek last year. Following its gazetting eventually, a year after the adoption of the relevant motion in 2024 by the National Assembly.
Why it took a year for the gazette of the day is anyone’s guess. Long, if only in the eyes of some descendants, like the Okandjoze Chiefs’ Assembly, who in 2023 and 2024 had started to commemorate the day, sending a bold message to the government that as far as some descendants were concerned, there was no going back on this day. That the government, whenever it decides to gazette, finds them already commemorating it.
They received what to them would be good news, that is, gazetting of the day in 2024 while commemorating it at the Independence Memorial Museum, which is also nominally and symbolically supposed to be a genocide memorial museum.
The actual commemoration this year was intended to be rolled out to all the 14 regions of the country, but with some regions combining, like the regions of Hardap and /Kharas in Lüderitz at Shark Island, I cannot but take note as well as respect my fellow descendant’s take on “relative success”. A perspective I am sure is not only his own is shared with other fellow descendants. As much as for some others, it must be admitted and acknowledged that the jury may not yet be out in this regard. Not to mention that there are those for whom the day is meaningless given that they have not accepted this specific date. Which, albeit, is not in tune with historical epochs exclusive to them and their communities.
One cannot deny the fact that some mixed opinions still very much shroud the day, as alluded to already with a section of the descendants never ever having bought into it, as encompassing and representing all GENOCIDE-related epochs. With some descendants, and variously so, opting for dates specifically relating to their respective epochs. Like the 2nd of October when the extermination order was issued against the Ovaherero in 1904 and 22 April when it was issued against the Nama in 1905.
Be that as it may, the 28th of May has been gazetted as Genocide Remembrance Day (GRD), and it seems like nothing at this stage can be done about it.
Other than those who have specific days exclusive to their respective historical epochs, to bid for the official recognition in one way or another, having since time immemorial been observing and commemorating these days in their own special ways. Commemorations which have and cannot have been in any way affected by Genocide Remembrance Day (GRD).
Zeroing in on the “relative success” of this year’s commemoration could entail many perspectives. Hence also different views of “success”, depending on what may and could have been anyone’s expectation from the commemoration of the day and whether such was and has been fulfilled or not.
One has to agree with him regarding one aspect: that rolling out the commemoration to the regions, the message may have reached many people who, hitherto, the messaging of genocide, apology and reparations may not have reached. Not only this, but the content of the messages did not seem to contain any manipulation and/or twisting and misrepresentation.
Nor overloading with government propaganda, especially relating to the Joint Declaration (JD), as some descendants suspected and feared. With only one, two to three of the government agents touching on the JD.
One repeating the government’s hackneyed and over-rehearsed chorus “of the JD train having left”. Those interested in getting on board of it still, to figure out from themselves at what next station they may be able to catch it.
As much as some government officials were arrogantly cautious not to get bogged down with JD, rest assured that come what may, by the end of this year, the JD shall be. An assured outcome amplified by Dr Charles Eiseb, a member of the technical committee. Echoing one or two of the speakers at one or the other of the commemorations. One to the effect that “a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush”, and another that a herder who has lost his flock and finds it but minus one cannot leave the found ones unattended to look for the one still missing.
Such pronouncements certainly cannot be reassuring. To those descendants with a genuine and legitimate belief that the said train was and could not have been the correct vehicle for them in their noble cause for restorative justice.
Equally critical is the fact that it is not destined for their desired destination. Not to mention that these pronouncements are not and could not have been in synchronisation with Her Excellency, the President, if part of her remembrance message is anything at all. Particularly that: “Our government, together with the affected communities, will continue to engage the Federal Republic of Germany until the matter of the genocide, apology, and reparations is brought to a just and meaningful conclusion.” Which is which with the trains having already left? It is said the JD is still work in progress. Why it remains under wraps, especially to the descendants, is a wonder.
Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro is a descendant of the survivors of the Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama genocide, veteran and freelance journalist and a reparations advocate and adherent of restorative justice.
