NNN takes Namibia’s reparations fight to global stage

Patience Makwele

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Namibia remains committed to securing a resolution on reparations for the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama people during German colonial rule, insisting that justice and reconciliation can only be achieved through truth, acknowledgement and sustained dialogue.

Addressing the High-Level Consultative Conference on the Next Steps for United Nations Resolution A/RES/80/250 on the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Accra, Ghana on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia’s pursuit of restorative justice forms part of a broader African effort to confront the enduring effects of slavery, colonialism and historical injustices.

She said Namibia’s engagement with Germany stems from a unanimous motion adopted by Parliament in 2006 on genocide, apology and reparations, which directed the government to pursue the matter with Berlin.

She said the two governments have been engaged in discussions over the past nine years, with affected communities actively involved in the process, resulting in a joint draft declaration following several rounds of talks in Windhoek and Berlin.