Human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe says international law and the right to justice for historical genocide are central to Namibia’s Genocide Remembrance Day, although he notes that the 1948 UN Genocide Convention is technically not retroactive and does not cover the 1904-1908 genocide against the Herero and Nama.
On the issue of reparations by Germany and the Joint Declaration on the Herero-Nama genocide, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the government is aware of the comparisons being made with Germany's reparations to Jewish victims but cautioned against viewing the processes as identical.
A resolution is imminent in the decade-long negotiations between the Namibian and German governments regarding the apology and reparations for the 1904-1908 Ovaherero and Nama genocide.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah made the announcement in her State of the Nation Address.
Historian and University of Namibia lecturer Shampapi Shiremo has praised Ghana for spearheading a United Nations General Assembly resolution that declares the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity.
Namibia has reiterated its support for reparatory justice for the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism.
As Namibia prepares to mark its first-ever Genocide Remembrance Day, Okakarara Constituency Councillor Ramana Mutjavikua is calling on the nation to reflect on the past and foster unity.
