Bethanie: In the heart of Bethanie, a small settlement about 130 kilometres south of Keetmanshoop in Namibia's ?Kharas Region, stands a tree carrying painful memories of a dark past. For the community, the tree is more than just part of the landscape. It is a reminder of the suffering endured by the Nama people during the genocide committed under German colonial rule between 1904 and 1908.
According to Namibia Press Agency, every year around this time, as Namibia marks Genocide Remembrance Day, residents of the village of roughly 3,000 people return to what many simply call 'the hanging tree.' Here, memories of loss, pain, and survival are once again brought to life. During the genocide, tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people were killed, driven from their land with their cattle, and left to die from hunger and thirst.
Dressed in traditional Nama attire decorated with a tortoise shell known as '!uros,' and carrying a small calabash used for cosmetics and perfume tied around her waist, 86-year-old Anna Frederick slowly walks with the help of a walker towards the tree her late husband, Chief Dawid Frederick of the !Aman clan, replanted near the family home. Standing a few metres from the tree, Frederick speaks softly about the painful stories passed down through generations.
According to Frederick, German colonial forces often used hanging as punishment for Nama men who resisted colonial rule. Back at the Frederick family home, nearly nine descendants of the clan gather to reflect on their painful history. Speaking on their behalf, family spokesperson Andy Jacobs described the Nama and Ovaherero genocide as a deeply painful and unresolved crime against humanity.
Jacobs explained that many Nama people were subjected to starvation, forced labour, and brutal treatment under German colonial forces. Survivors were sent to concentration camps, especially Shark Island near Lderitz, where many died from cold weather, hunger, disease, and violence. Jacobs also described the horrific medical experiments carried out on prisoners, noting that women were forced to prepare remains for racist scientific experiments in Germany.
More than a century later, Jacobs believes the scars of genocide are still visible in communities like Bethanie through poverty, lack of land ownership, and underdevelopment. Meanwhile, in Lderitz, retired marine scientist and historian Asser Mukapuli sits quietly at the memorial site of Cornelius Fredericks on Shark Island, reflecting on the painful history tied to the area.
Mukapuli explained that German settlers first acquired small portions of land in Lderitz before eventually taking more land from Nama and Ovaherero communities by force. He described Shark Island as one of Namibia's first concentration camps, where prisoners faced dire conditions. Mukapuli also spoke about the removal of human remains shipped to Germany and emphasized the importance of education about this history.
Local events organiser in Keetmanshoop, Charles Jossob, said the pain of the genocide continues to live on in many Nama families today, criticizing Germany for not fully addressing the suffering caused by the genocide. Kalkrand resident, 83-year-old Hendrik Alcock, shared the stories passed down from his grandfather about the unpreparedness of the Nama people during the attacks.
War veteran and Kalkrand resident, 76-year-old Nehemia Mika, recalled the killings in Lderitz and his time around the family of Hendrik Witbooi. Member of the Genocide Technical Committee, Ronny Dempers, highlighted the personal nature of the colonial history for Namibians and called for a comprehensive national remembrance calendar to acknowledge all significant historical events.
Control Administrative Officer at the //Kharas governor's office, Russel Titus, announced that the Hardap and ?Kharas regions have decided to jointly observe Genocide Remembrance Day at Shark Island in Lderitz. The event aims to educate people, especially the youth, about the genocide's history and its ongoing impact, with a programme including conferences, discussions, and memorial services.