Cabinet has approved the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Genocide, Apology, and Reparations, signalling the closure of a decade-long negotiation process between the Namibian and German governments.

This was revealed at a feedback meeting for the Chief's Forum on Genocide Negotiations in Keetmanshoop, which was attended by traditional leaders from 12 affected communities in the Hardap and ||Kharas regions. 

The signing of the joint declaration was approved during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 12 December, and Cabinet also assigned the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation to sign the Joint Declaration on behalf of the Government. 

Cabinet further approved the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement the Genocide, Apology, Reparations, and Atonement projects, in line with the Joint Declaration.

Reading a statement on behalf of Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, Lucia Witbooi, explained that the SPV will be created as a non-profit entity under Section 21 of the Companies Act.

"The SPV will be an independent structure that will not be linked to any government office, ministry, or agency (OMA) governed by an independent Board of Governors. Both the German and Namibian governments will have a representative each on the Governance Board. The affected communities will play a decisive role in the management and administration of the implementation structure, and they will have to serve as Founding Members in terms of the Articles of Association."

When the first Joint Declaration was discussed in Cabinet on 26 May 2021, before it was tabled in the National Assembly, a number of issues were raised before it was sent back for further negotiations with the German Government. 

Among the shortcomings identified was the lack of adequate recognition of genocide against the affected communities, while the amount of €1.1 billion offered by Germany is not commensurate with the deeds against the affected communities. 

The 30-year implementation period of the agreement also needed to be shortened, while it was not clear how the affected communities in the Diaspora would benefit from it.

In terms of the renegotiated Joint Declaration, the €1.1 billion, or N$19 billion, is not a final amount while the implementation period has been shortened from 30 to 23 years.

"The amount of €1.1 billion will not be final, but additional funding will be provided once the initial amount is depleted. The total amount of the additional funding will be determined by the further needs of the affected communities, as will be determined through periodic assessments. The needs will be determined by the Namibian government in consultation with the affected communities."

Witbooi further noted that the Namibian government, in collaboration with the affected communities, successfully negotiated for the establishment of a Bi-National Commission between Germany and Namibia.

"The purpose of the commission is to upgrade cooperation between the two countries to a higher level. This agreement was realised by the fact that Germany has a special relationship with Namibia because of past experiences, with the genocide as an example."

Witbooi also pointed out that Cabinet also resolved that the Joint Declaration be submitted to the Chiefs and Traditional Authorities for scrutiny before its tabling in the National Assembly.