Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) leader Mike Kavekotora says the current N.dollars 18 billion offered by Germany as genocide reparations is a paltry 0.2 per cent of what could be actual reparations for the crimes the latter committed on Namibian soil.
This, Kavekotora said, is when factors such as loss of lives, population growth loss, 40 million hectares of land lost, about 20 million livestock lost, forced labour, displacement and rape are taken into account.
All these losses must be quantified in order to inform what a just and respectable genocide deal ought to be, he added.
When quantified, according to the economist and politician, “A realistic quantifiable figure for reparation is between N.dollars 11 to N.dollars 13 trillion”.
Kavakotora was speaking during a National Assembly session on Tuesday while making his contribution to the ongoing genocide debate.
His argument is premised on the assumption that for each life lost during the genocide, Germany must pay at least US.dollars 9 million.
At least 100 000 Nama and Herero were massacred.
In addition, had the genocide not occurred, the Herero and Nama population would be 3.5 million.
“This social, economic and political impact on the current generation of Hereros and Namas… N.dollars 16.8 billion, or N.dollars 18 billion if you like is a mere 0.2 per cent of N.dollars 13 trillion,” he said.
“Germany wants to deposit N.dollars 17 billion into their own bank account and pay the victims with interest earned on that amount over 30 years and Swapo fell for that? This cannot be the possible outcome of a negotiation process between two parties seeking a win-win solution to the atrocities meant to wipe out the Ovaherero and Nama,” he advanced.
Kavekotora further said most traditional leaders or groups that were seen to be government’s antagonists were shut out of the negotiation process through which the two governments arrived at an N.dollars 18 billion settlement.
Meanwhile the majority of the affected communities have rejected the deal and why the deal is being pushed down their throats is baffling, he added.
He made several demands.
Chiefly, Kavekotora said, Germany must acknowledge that it committed genocide “without any qualification”.
In the joint declaration between the two governments, it is not clear whether or not Germany conceded that it committed genocide as the declaration states that the events of 1904-1908 can be described as genocide in today’s context.
“This declaration is an insult to the memories of those who perished and must be rejected in its totality… The government must also recover the money paid by [former attorney general Sacky Shangala] to the Queen Counsel lawyers Dexter Diaz and Anna Uukelo. That N.dollars 47 million contributed nothing to the negotiation,” Kavekotora said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
