Justicia Shipena
The chief of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA), Hoze Riruako, has proposed that the government consider a quota system to allow communities that lost land during colonial rule to access land again.
Riruako made the proposal during a courtesy meeting with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at State House on Thursday.
He said the proposal aims to address the long-standing issue of ancestral land without creating fear among other Namibians.
“What we wanted to see reflected, especially in the national development plan, is a quota system that will allow those who have been completely disenfranchised of their land to get a piece of land,” Riruako said.
He said discussions about ancestral land are often misunderstood.
“The whole issue of ancestral land is misunderstood. People think that we are going to go the Zimbabwean style and come and grab everybody’s land,” he said.
Riruako said the Ovaherero community is not calling for the seizure of farms that were obtained legally.
“What we are saying is that there’s so much land that has not been occupied in Namibia,” he said.
According to Riruako, the Ovaherero population is estimated at about 350 000 people and many remain without access to ancestral land.
He said the proposed system should also include elements of restitution for communities that lost land.
The meeting also discussed the ongoing discourse on genocide and reparations.
Riruako said the struggle for recognition and reparations dates back decades.
“This is a process that has been going on for 88 years. My two late uncles started this process. I am prepared, sitting in the same chair of authority, to complete this exercise and make sure there is an amicable solution to this chapter in our history,” he said.
He also questioned the basis used to determine the amount currently proposed in genocide reparations discussions.
Germany acknowledged that the atrocities committed against the Ovaherero and Nama people constituted genocide “from today’s perspective”.
Germany also pledged €1.1 billion (about N$20 billion) over 30 years to fund development and reconciliation projects, but the offer excludes direct reparations and any admission of legal liability.
But some communities are not happy with the joint declaration on reparations.
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) five months ago accused the Namibian government of siding with Germany instead of prioritising justice for victims of the 1904 to 1908 Herero and Nama genocide.
LPM, together with the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) and the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA), is challenging the 2021 joint declaration signed between Namibia and Germany.
The groups argue that the agreement does not adequately address the demands of communities affected by the genocide.
Riruako also called on Ovaherero communities to support dialogue with the government on historical issues.
“Namibia is an independent country. I am prepared to work with any government of the day to make sure that they speak our language,” he said.
