The delegations from Namibia and Germany negotiated with each other for around six years. At the end of May they finally presented their agreement: Germany recognizes the colonial crimes against the Nama and Herero between 1904 and 1908 as genocide; In addition, the federal government wants to pay 1.1 billion euros in reconstruction aid to Namibia over 30 years.
The supposed breakthrough was followed by protests and sharp criticism from representatives of the Herero and Nama. Some regard the offer from the German side as a mockery. Most recently, the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA), the traditional leadership of the Herero, once again threatened legal action against the Namibian and German governments. The corona pandemic makes it even more difficult to conclude the negotiations. The parliaments of both countries still have to sign the reconciliation agreement – but the third wave of infections has been slowing down political activity in Namibia for weeks.
In an interview, Harald Hecht, chairman of the Forum for German-speaking Namibians, explains how he perceives the mood in Namibia at the moment, how the German-speaking minority feels about the genocide negotiations – and why he regards the unrest in neighboring South Africa as a warning.
ntv.de: When the government delegations announced their agreement at the end of May, you welcomed this step and made positive comments about it. Has anything changed in your attitude in the past few weeks?
Harald Hecht: We still see it positively – insofar as a deal has even been reached and both chief negotiators have probably obtained a mandate from the respective government to sign this preliminary contract. From a legal point of view, the declaration made by the delegations can certainly hardly be shaken. I don’t think Germany will allow renegotiations again. What we could not foresee at the time was the response from some political groups who now say that they had not been taken into account and that they could not live with the result. However, there were also some Namibian parties who took part in the negotiations but did not recognize the result. The question now is whether they will continue to insist on their demands or ultimately accept the offer after all, according to the motto: A deal is better than no deal.
Some key figures in the negotiations have died in recent weeks as a result of a corona infection, including chief negotiator Zed Ngavirue and Vekuii Rukoro, the traditional head of the Herero and one of the sharpest critics of the agreement. How do you think this will affect the negotiations?
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority takes up to six months to nominate a successor. But I do not expect any change in the basic attitude of this Herero group under a new chief. They have been demanding reparations from Germany for decades. Some go to extremes and say: If, from our point of view, Germany does not meet its obligations, then we will get what we are entitled to from the German-speaking Namibians – by force if necessary. Overall, the mood among the Herero and Nama is mixed. There are also prominent representatives who are proud of what they have achieved. 60 years ago it was still unthinkable that Germany would even move towards those affected. Ultimately, it’s a matter of interpretation. One thing is certain: it is and will remain exciting.
Were German-speaking Namibians involved in the negotiations in any way?
No, as far as I know, not at all directly. We learned from the newspapers what the state of affairs is. We were probably all a bit too optimistic about the negotiations – we simply assumed that the negotiators would speak to all Herero and Nama and that a bilateral agreement between two independent states would find greater acceptance after more than six years of negotiation. One of the biggest points of criticism is that parts of the affected population groups do not feel properly represented and heard. The German side emphasizes again and again that the conversation with all groups was sought and also conducted. We’d like to talk to both sides now. We cannot influence the bilateral negotiations. But in the end it is we Namibians who have to live with the result. Reconciliation and reconciliation once and for all is of course very important to us Namibians. It is also clear to us that this is a process that has to take place over the years.
Do you perceive tensions between the population groups in everyday life, especially with a view to the genocide negotiations?
I do not think tensions have increased since the deal became known. There was a brief downpour in June, but now everything is certainly the same. But we still have a reality in this country, and that is structural inequality. Corona has made it even bigger. We have to face the national problem of this inequality. Even in the last 30 years we have not been able to strike a balance. Namibia is one of the countries with the largest income gaps, from very poor to very rich. That cannot be sustained in the long run. So it’s always a constant threat. As German-speaking Namibians, we certainly have a special responsibility to face this problem. After all, German speakers in Namibia are doing best. Statistics certify that we have the greatest material prosperity and the highest quality of life. We must now ask ourselves: what can we do to reduce the income gap? The government is of course also particularly challenged. We cannot solve the problem alone. But we can be part of the solution and are in the process of formulating specific proposals in this regard. The Forum of German-speaking Namibians has committed itself to the principle of “national interests over group interests”.
The German historian Jürgen Zimmerer regards Namibia as a “victim of colonialism”. At the beginning of July he called for vaccine aid for Namibia from the German side – as a “commandment of historical justice”. Do you also see Germany as having a special responsibility towards Namibia?
A little later, Germany also acted and sent relief supplies to Windhoek. One hears again and again not only from historians but also from German politicians that Germany has a historical responsibility towards Namibia. For me, however, human responsibility is more in the foreground. In a pandemic like this one, the stronger nations around the world should support the weaker ones. One can speak of an obligation to deliver, of historical responsibility – or simply of humanity. Overall, the German connection to Namibia has strengthened since the country gained independence in 1990. Germany pays a lot of development aid. But a lot of help also comes into the country indirectly, for example through charitable projects and organizations. Of course it is certainly not. From a Namibian point of view, one cannot and should not always rely solely on Germany.
Has there been too little talk about the Herero War and its consequences in Namibia so far?
Yes I think so. This is certainly also a legacy of apartheid, which came after the German colonial era. The history books, for example, have been written somewhat one-sided. When I was at school, the Herero War was briefly mentioned, but the subject was never as present as it should have been. At the German Higher Private School in Windhoek, people are now beginning to “Namibianize” and rewrite the history books a little more.
With our forum we want to ensure that German-speaking Namibian citizens reflect on their responsibility and also deal with critical issues. It’s always easy to say: that was over a hundred years ago, I have nothing to do with that. But: We have to face this reality. It ultimately influences the reconciliation process between the population groups, and thus life and peace in Namibia.
How does the German-speaking community in Namibia feel about the genocide negotiations?
Over the past few weeks, Corona has repeatedly shown me how different people are. I advocate vaccination and automatically assumed that the majority of German-speaking Namibians would be similar. But now I notice that there are anti-vaccination opponents in my environment – and I have to accept that. It is no different with the genocide negotiations, there are different currents. This is also because the topic touches on the land question: One of the demands of the Herero and Nama is the return of the land that was taken from them in colonial times. Recently there were also threats of violence against German-speaking farm owners. Some therefore have an acute fear of feeling existentially threatened. Of course, they view the negotiations differently than a city dweller like me. Some Namibians adopt a kind of ostrich posture. They hide themselves and would prefer not to deal with the topic at all. With the forum we want to change that, offer all voices a platform and discuss openly.
Do you understand the displeasure of the affected population groups?
Displeasure is certainly always justified when certain expectations have not been met. The question is: how did the negotiators deal with the expectations of the Herero and Nama? And an expectation always has to be fulfilled. I would like to sit down with both sides and hear how they came to this conclusion – after all, nobody really knows. There were big mistakes in communication and press work. This created space for political opportunism, which critics are now using. But: the one who screams the loudest is not always the one with the greatest following. We do not accept threats of violence. Nonetheless, we are still ready to sit down at the table with everyone in order to promote reconciliation and reconciliation. As German-speaking Namibians, we would be well advised not to simply ignore the open wounds of the genocide, but to face these realities. An open dialogue would be a start – we like to listen, but also want to be heard.
What do you wish for the further course of the negotiations?
I would like the bilateral agreement to come into force as quickly as possible. We are probably further away from that than we thought until recently. When that has happened, the big task follows, in which we German speakers also play an important role: reconciliation and reconciliation.
In Namibia we have our German-language radio, German lessons at schools, we live out our culture – for example at the carnival or the Oktoberfest. But we must finally become more a part of the Namibian house – which has been repeatedly demanded by Namibian politicians – and move a little more from our German-speaking community into Namibian society. We can only move Namibia forward if we understand and find solutions to major problems such as structural inequality. The recent unrest in South Africa should be a lesson and a warning to us. The people there are simply disillusioned. If we ignore our great challenges, Namibia faces similar scenarios. We urgently need to learn to take each other by the hand and act as one in the interests of Namibia. For me there is only one principle: One Namibia, One nation. We German-speaking Namibians must also contribute to this.
Annika Brohm spoke to Harald Hecht
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