Home Affairs Minister Albert Kawana has demanded an unconditional apology from the German government for its role in the Ovaherero / Nama Genocide during pre – independence Namibia . Kawana said the apology , combined with reparation to the affected communities will be a form of restorative justice to these communities – many of whom still bear the brunt of the genocide though displacement and a loss of identity , among others challenges . The minister made the remarks at the Dobe Border Post in the Otjozondjupa Region , during the official welcoming ceremony of close to 100 Batswana of Namibian descent who returned to the country of their forefathers on Friday . He noted that the return of the descendants is concrete proof of the genocide , which had forced their ancestors to flee into neighbouring Botswana at the height of the 1904 – 1908 genocide . After fleeing the German pursuits , the surviving Ovaherero and Ovambanderu communities settled in various parts of Botswana – most notably in Ngamiland and Gh
anzi districs where they started families . All 98 returnees were born in Botswana – some from parents who were also born in Botswana , but a few directly from parents who had fled the war . Kawana said although the history of how the returnees got to be settled in Botswana is a sad one , the coming home of the offspring of those who fled the war is an occasion worth celebrating . ‘ Despite the bad history , we are gathered here to celebrate the return of our brothers and sisters . We want to thank Botswana for hosting our brothers and sisters all these years , especially when it was not fashionable to do so ,’ he said . He promised to speed up the granting of full Namibian citizenship to the returnees , adding that all children that crossed into Namibia with their parents will be put in schools while senior citizens and those that qualify for government grants will be allocated such . Speaking at the same occasion , the head of the Botswana delegation , Anna Maria Mokgethi – who is that country ‘ s Minister
of Labour and Home Affairs , said Botswana is proud to have hosted Namibians at a time when it mattered the most . She praised the group for having been model citizens of Botswana during their stay there , and for having contributed to that country ‘ s programmes in one way or the other . ‘ We are proud to have hosted a committed and disciplined community of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu . May you continue to do so in your new home ,’ she said . The returnees are currently hosted at a reception centre in Gam , where they are expected to stay until they are processed to proceed to a new communal area reserved for them called Otjipaheua in the Gam district . The 98 people who returned make up 49 households and include men , women and children as young as one year old . The eldest among the group is an 84 – year – old man , whose own father had fled into Botswana during the genocide period .
Source: The Namibia News Agency