Opinion – Spotlight on Shark Island
It was on this fateful day, 2nd October 1904 when German imperial genocide general Lothar von Trotha declared genocide against the Ovaherero people, and extended this termination order to the Nama people on the 23rd April 1905. This academic piece focusses mainly on the historical context of Shark Island located near the harbour of Lüderitz,... The post Opinion – Spotlight on Shark Island appeared first on New Era .
It was on this fateful day, 2nd October 1904 when German imperial genocide general Lothar von Trotha declared genocide against the Ovaherero people, and extended this termination order to the Nama people on the 23rd April 1905. This academic piece focusses mainly on the historical context of Shark Island located near the harbour of Lüderitz, having served as notorious concentration camp during German colonial occupation.This piece also draws the attention of Namibian government and forward thinking Namibians re-activating places of historical signifcance . It further examines the point of turning Shark Island as a sacred place that continues to attract visitors for educational and tourism reasons.
At a ceremony characterized by pomp and fanfare held on 15th February 2021, Shark Island was declared by the Namibian Government as a national heritage site. History books remind us that the period from 1904 to 1908 represent a dark chapter in the Namibian history and the fallout echoes loudly in our society today. Given the socio-economic implications of emerging sectors ,it is vital that the future development of Shark Island forms part of the intergrated tourism plan of the harbour town of Lüderitz .The town is slowly transfoming itself into a major commercial hub in Southern Namibia.