Beginners Guide to TikTok for Search - Rachel Pearson - We are Tilt __ Bright...
Genocide focus should be on German colonial impunity Windhoek Observer definition
1. (http://www.observer.com.na)
Home (/) | National (/national) | Genocide focus should be on German colonial impunity
Genocide focus should be on German colonial impunity
Written by Nahas Angula on 19 May 2016.
The question of the German colonial crimes is very important to this nation; however, the current domestic
framing of this question is not correct.
It is sad that the nation is expending its energy on peripheral issues. The question is not really who should
benefit if negotiations reach a consensus on restorative package.
Rather, the issue is to address colonial impunity, first and foremost.
Namibia as a nation, as a whole, should therefore face those in whose name the extermination orders were
issued and executed.
The nation should, in one voice, demand that the German government, successor to the Reichskanzler
government of 1904-1905, acknowledge that the extermination orders executed in its then colony of South-
West Africa, were crimes against humanity.
In fact, the extermination orders were a logical conclusion of a colonial policy, which was designed to
provoke resistance and war.
In order to understand this policy, I shall briefly outline its salient features.
Power and deception
First and foremost, the Germany colonial policy was based on the use of power and deception. Colonia
Governor Theodor Lieutwien used military force, in order to gain agreement from various traditional leaders
in southern and central Namibia, to accept the ‘protection treaties’.
Once the traditional leaders accepted the ‘protection treaties’, Lieutwein used them to fight his colonial wars
2. against their traditional leaders.
For example, the uprising of communities under the leadership of Nikodemus Kavekunua and Kahimuemua
Nguvauva, in the present day Omaheke region in 1896, was put down by a combined force of Lieutwein’s
colonial troops and fighters from Kaptein Witbooi’s army and Chief Maharero formations.
Similarly, Kaptein Witbooi sent his fighters to fight against Herero warriors at Ohamakari in 1904.
This was in accordance with Lieutwein’s policy of divide and rule.
Our traditional leaders were made to believe that they were under the protection of the Reichskanzler.
The divide and rule colonial policy underpinned the broader colonial policy of the pauperisation of
indigenous communities, with the purpose of making them dependent on selling their labour to colonial
settlers.
In order to achieve the policy of pauperisation, the colonial authorities targeted land. The land had to be
taken away from the indigenous communities, in order to be distributed to colonial settlers.
Most land in central and southern Namibia was declared Crown Land, and alienated to settlers.
In addition, the colonial settlers adopted unfair trading practices. They, for example, encouraged the natives
to take goods on credit.
Payment was usually done through cattle. The settlers inflated the prices of their goods and trinkets, to the
point that many natives lost large herds of cattle or had their remaining land confiscated.
The native frustration and anger came to a head when the colonial authorities went as far as forcing the
natives to open the graves of their relatives, for the purpose of removing mortal remains, which were
shipped to Europe.
The natives were therefore left with no alternative, but to defend their means of livelihood and dignity.
Wars of resistance
The wars of resistance, which eventually led to extermination started with the Bondelswarts uprising on 25
October 1903.
On 12 January 1904, the Herero warriors, under the leadership of Samuel Maharero, took up arms against
the German colonial forces.
Epic battles were fought at places such as Okahandja, Okondjira and Ohamakari.
3. Prev (/national/6210-nam-zim-ivory-sales-likely-to-create-demand-spike)
Tweet
On 28 January 1904, King Nehale Iya Mpingana of Ondongo East sent his warriors to destroy Onamutoni, as
an act of solidarity with Chief Samuel Maharero.
On his part, Kaptein Witbooi declared war against the German colonial forces in October 1904. The wars of
resistance were therefore fought at many theatres in southern, central and northern Namibia.
These wars, fought under command of different traditional leaders, were national in spirit and character.
They demonstrated the spirit of “an injury to one community is an injury to all communities”.
Extermination orders
Though the Herero resistance was neutralised by 11 August 1904, the German General Von Trotha issued an
extermination order on 2 October 1904. This is like hitting your opponent when he is on the ground.
This in itself was a war crime. Why issue an extermination order on defeated people?
An extermination order is normally defined as an order given by a government, sanctioning mass removal
or death. The term is often associated with genocide.
This is the case against the German State at this point in time.
If the German State accepts responsibility, a process of negotiating restorative justice will then follow.
It is important therefore for the Namibian nation to focus on German colonial impunity.
One Namibia, One Voice!
*Nahas Angula is a former Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Pan African Institute for the Study of
African Society.
Print (/national/6209-genocide-focus-should-be-on-german-colonial-impunity?
tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=) MEmail (/component/mailto/?
tmpl=component&template=yoo_avion&link=b48d5301e0e614bda7f0279ef81fc26c74e4aad5)
18Like
