Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibian Presidency has refuted claims that President Hage Geingob has downplayed the Nama-OvaHerero Genocide of 1904, dismissing such assertions as misleading.
“Without comparing the German genocide against the Nama and Ovaherero ethnic groups, the President only stated as a matter of fact that the apartheid regime of South Africa was equally worse. The apartheid regime of South Africa and the genocide committed against the Nama and Ovaherero ethnic groups are two dark chapters oppressed Namibians experienced,” the president’s spokesperson, Dr. Alfredo Hengari, explained.
This comes after President Geingob public criticism following his lecture at Sciences Po in France on 15 September. During his lecture, the president touched on the Genocide of 1904, among other topics. The Namibian Presidency, however, said that the president did not minimize the Genocide of 1904 and assured the nation that he still seeks closure for the reparation and reconstruction of affected communities.
The full speech by the Namibian Presidency regarding President Geingob’s position on the 1904 Genocide can be read below:
“President Hage G. Geingob dedicated his entire life to nation-building, unity and progress for the Namibian people, first as a freedom fighter and then as Father of the Namibian Constitution, including as founding Prime Minister who dismantled the divisive Apartheid infrastructure of Bantustans. Already in 1966, President Geingob in his petition on the termination of mandate by the Apartheid South African regime raised among others the injustices committed against the Namibian people, including the atrocity of genocide committed against the Namibian people by Germany.
Additionally, President Geingob raises the question about the oppressive nature of German colonialism in his 2004 doctoral dissertation “State Formation in Namibia”, highlighting the “clashes between Germans and Khausas, followed by the ‘revolt’ of Goortontein in 1901, the Swartbooi uprisings of 1904-¬7, and the Herero uprisings of 1904¬-7”. Specifically, President Geingob describes in his thesis German as “settler colonialism as the worst form of colonialism”, with a “virulent racist predicate.”
It goes on to emphasize the fact that as a scholar and politician, President Geingob has consistently condemned the oppressive nature of German colonialism in Namibia, which culminated in the first genocide of the 20th century.
The third Head of State, President Geingob has pursued the path of unity through total rejection of all forms of ‘isms’, including tribalism and racism. Thus, the unfounded and spurious allegations being made that President Hage G. Geingob, during his lecture on 15 September 2023 at Sciences Po in France, said the apartheid regime of South Africa, which SWAPO fought against, was worse than the genocide committed by Germany against the Nama and Ovaherero ethnic groups are wholly unacceptable. President Geingob did not make a comparison of the two events at any point during the lecture. Namibians were oppressed and under-developed for 100 years under brutal German colonialism and later under the ghastly Apartheid regime. Namibians lost a century in development and progress and it is unfortunate that tribal entrepreneurs have sought to use the genocide to create a wedge between Namibians.
The Presidency therefore wishes to dismiss a campaign of misinformation and disinformation by those who try to resuscitate their political fortunes, including DTA politicians who actively participated in the oppression of the Namibian people during Apartheid. It is also a fact that there is no evidence of the DTA raising the question of genocide with the Apartheid Regime and the German Government that time.
Perhaps, their wish is to protect the South African Apartheid system they aided and abetted for decades, at a time when President Geingob as a freedom fighter and leader of SWAPO in the liberation struggle, fighting to dismantle that very same ghastly system.
In contrast to the claims, President Geingob did not compare the Apartheid regime of South Africa to the genocide carried out by Germany against the Nama and Ovaherero groups. Without comparing the German genocide against the Nama and Ovaherero ethnic groups, the President only stated as a matter of fact that the apartheid regime of South Africa was equally a worse.
The apartheid regime of South Africa and the genocide committed against the Nama and Ovaherero ethnic groups are two dark chapters oppressed Namibians experienced. Blood was shed during these unpleasant tragedies. In fact, President Geingob constantly cautions against the tragedy of genocide being used for tribal and political ends.
Rightly so, President Geingob has always located the genocide as Namibian and has done more than any Namibian leader to ensure that progress is made to hold Germany accountable for the genocide and the atrocities committed against the Namibian people.
To demonstrate urgency and seriousness to close the chapter of the 1904 genocide, President Geingob formalized and institutionalized discussions with Germany by appointing in 2015 the late Ambassador Dr. Zed Ngavirue as the special envoy to lead deliberations with the German Government on the 1904–1908 genocide. With consistent guidance from President Geingob, Ambassador Ngavirue led the negotiations until the final draft declaration of May 2021, where the German Government admitted that it committed a genocide in 1904 and owed the Namibian people an apology.
In Ambassador Ngavirue, President Geingob chose a blue blood descendant from the Ovaherero affected community and someone with exceptional knowledge of the community because he also served as a secretary of Chief Hosea Kutako.
It is testimony to the fact that the President had never and will never downplay the genocide, but would like to seek closure for the reparation and reconstruction of the affected communities. Even if the issue of the amount in reparations appears insufficient to all, including President Geingob, the President has always maintained that financial rewards can never atone for the lives lost. Still, during bilateral talks on 18 September 2023 on the margins of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Geingob raised the unfinished business of genocide and specifically the quantum with the Federal Chancellor of Germany.
It is regrettable that the politicians, who for the most part collaborated with the Apartheid regime chose to deliberately mislead the nation by putting the President’s statements out of context on the important question of genocide.
The Presidency urges in the same vein for the media to report news truthfully, accurately and fairly in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Conduct for Namibian Media. Namibians should be reassured that President Geingob will not deviate from a leadership style that is inclusive, that hold hands, is transparent and one that will at all times pursue the unity and development of the Namibian nation.”
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