Open Memorandum to the German State and the German People (by the Nama Technical Committee)
28 November 2011. It was reported that the German Ambassador to Namibia, 2011, on Wednesday, 16th November signed N$660 million agreement for infra-structure and land reform. It was further reported that at the occasion he stated the following amongst others: That Namibians who collected the skulls had created a negative impression about bilateral relations between the two countries.
Just a few days earlier, the president of Namibia, Mr. Pohamba, announced to the traditional leaders of the various communities that they owned no more land and that the land owned collectively by each group now belonged to the state. He stated, finger wagging, that the communities had no more say over their land.
A week earlier a newly constructed road had disintegrated leaving travellers to travel next to the road.
We understand this contradiction to mean that the N$660 million will not be used for land reform nor infra-structure.
Our delegation in Germany was informed by parliamentarians that Namibia was the recipient of the largest portion of development grants from Germany to Africa and that already 480 million euros (N$5 billion) had been granted to Namibia.
Our delegation informed the said parliamentarians that none of these donations had been expended on the Nama and Herero peoples. No development had taken place with these funds.
These grants do not form part of national accounts and are not open for audit.
Given the above situation in which grants from Germany are not expended for the stated purposes, we feel that the bilateral relations carry no integrity and are in bad faith.
It is fraud against both the Namibian and the German Peoples.
The German Ambassador has accused our delegation of a “hidden agenda” which put Germany’s bilateral policy towards Namibia in a negative light.
But, our delegation only questioned a policy that excluded the affected groups of genocide and dispossession and which sought an unaccountable relation with the Namibian Government.
Our delegation only raised objections and argued for a fraternal relation between our two nations. It was a significant section of the German People who organised a fraternal connection between the two nations and who took the German State to task for its actions and policies. If the bilateral policy met its deserved fate it was largely due to the determination of Germans themselves.
We for ourselves removed the veil of secrecy and ill-information so that both nations should know what their Governments are doing.
Despite the two peoples’ best efforts, the German Ambassador is reported to be meeting with the Namibian President behind closed doors. We ask why when already the bilateral relations have been discredited and while especially its lack of accountability has been exposed?
The misappropriation of funds and our own resources through this unaccountable bilateral policy is deepening the social crisis in Namibia on a daily basis.
We request from the German People to intervene and petition their State to put its relations with the Namibian government under austere answerable regulation, to arrest the dangerous and destructive consequences of this opportunist form its bilateral policy takes at the moment.
We believe the German People is entitled to know the disposal, use and purpose of their taxes.
Our people yearn to resume the positive aspects of our relations and past with the German People: We seek to build further on the legacy of craftsmanship and perfectionism left by the Germans. Craftsman trained in the best traditions of Germany are ignored in this country. We seek to build further on the continuation of the protection of our environment and ecology by the descendants of German settlers which they do at great odds of worsening standards.
We greet the German People,
JACOBUS JOSOB
member of the Nama Reparations Technical Committee