Staff Reporter
THE Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA), and some of its members residing in South Africa and throughout southern Africa, have written a petition to the South African government asking for support in the ongoing legal battle which deals with the Nama and Ovaherero Genocide of 1904-08.
The group, in a letter to the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has asked for political, diplomatic and moral support for the ongoing quest of the Ovaherero and Nama peoples for justice and reparations arising from the genocides perpetrated by Imperial Germany between 1904 and 1908.
On 2 October 1904, General Lothar von Trotha issued the infamous Extermination Order against the Ovaherero. This order formed part of a systematic campaign of extermination that was later extended to the Nama people and resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children. The atrocities committed by Germany have since been widely recognised as constituting some of the earliest genocides of the twentieth century.
The OTA stated that today, more than a century later, the descendants of those victims continue to bear the consequences of land dispossession, forced displacement, economic marginalisation, cultural disruption and intergenerational trauma.
“While Germany has acknowledged its historical responsibility, the affected communities continue to seek a process that delivers meaningful restorative justice, inclusive participation and reparations consistent with international law and the principles of human dignity. In view of these historical ties and South Africa’s distinguished commitment to human rights, social justice and international solidarity, we respectfully call upon the Government of the Republic of South Africa to publicly affirm its support for the quest of the Ovaherero and Nama peoples for justice, reparations and historical redress arising from the genocides committed by Germany between 1904 and 1908,” the OTA requested.
It also asked that South Africa recognise that the consequences of these genocides extend beyond the borders of present-day Namibia and continue to affect Ovaherero and Nama descendants residing in South Africa and throughout the diaspora.
This is the second international partner the descendants of the Genocide seek help from, with the Namibian High Court yet to deliver a judgment wherein Amnesty International seeks to be joined to the Genocide court case. Germany’s offer remains at €1.1 billion (approximately N$18 billion) over 30 years for genocide reparations, despite the affected communities demanding N$1.1 trillion.
Photo: NBC Digital News
