Namibia Embassy Berlin -

Regierungsmitteilungen

Ndaitwah to brief Cabinet on genocide talks

August 10th, 2015 | by New Era Staff Reporter

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The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has confirmed that official talks regarding the classification as 'genocide' of the 1904-08 war against the Ovaherero, Nama and San people, as well as the issue of reparations, are underway between Namibia and Germany.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, confirmed that she has had several meetings with German representatives, including a delegation that visited the country recently, and telephonic contact with the German Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as well as the German Ambassador to Namibia, Onno Hückmann.

Nandi-Ndaitwah was not prepared to go into detail about the content of her discussions with her German counterparts, noting that there are still a number of issues she needed to get clarification on before she could take it to Cabinet. Read more...

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE LAND ISSUE AND THE AFFIRMATIVE REPOSITIONING MOVEMENT, ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, ON JULY 17, 2015

The Office of the President would like to re-affirm its willingness to engage and dialogue with the leaders of the Affirmative Repositioning Movement. The actions taken by the SWAPO Party Politburo to expel its members, due to ill-discipline, have no bearing on Government's position to engage on the pressing land and decent shelter issue faced by our country.

The demand for each Namibian to have decent shelter is a legitimate demand. The threat to commit criminal and/or violent acts in the pursuit of this basic right is not legitimate. The Namibian Police are to be commended for re-assuring Namibians and investors that Namibia will continue to enforce its constitutional obligation to defend property rights and maintain law and order. Namibia is regarded as a shining beacon of hope due to our robust governance and democratic architecture. The Fundamental rights and Freedoms of Namibians are entrenched in the Namibian Constitution and the Office of the President calls upon the AR Movement and its supporters to exercise their rights in a manner that shows understanding of the rights of others and the duties of the State.

The peace enjoyed in Namibia was fought for against an oppressive regime which had no legitimacy from the people of Namibia. The Government of the Republic of Namibia is democratically elected for five years and within the four months of its inauguration, has taken every reasonable action to ensure an implementable action plan for land delivery. In this context, the deadline for land delivery of 31 July 2015 is ether ill-conceived or insincere.

The Office of the President is confident that the 94 recommendations presented by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on land to amend laws and policies will fundamentally change the structure of land delivery and availability for Namibians for the better. Government is hopeful that the envisaged dialogue will result in the agreement or improvement of these recommendations as the focus of Government is to ensure that the best recommendations are implemented as expediently as possible.

As a newly elected Government of four months, the Office of the President wishes to assure the nation that Government is serious about providing long term, holistic solutions in an expedited and targeted manner. The land and housing delivery issue is multifaceted and requires a holistic approach to ensure appropriate solutions for all Namibians. This approach enjoys the full attention of the President and requires the support of the nation.

Ms Sandra Annette Parr Tjitendero, Wife of late Mosé Tjitendero - First Speaker of Namibia's Independent Parliament - Laid to Rest in Berlin, Germany

photo 1: from right to left, Hon Richard Kamwi, former Minister of Health; Mr Ernest Tjitendero, brother of the late Mosé Tjitendero; family members; Hon Prof Peter H Katjavivi, Speaker of the National Assembly; family members. Photos 2-6: family members and friends. Photo 7: Hon Nangolo Mbumba, Secretary-General of the SWAPO Party

On 04 August 2015, Ms Sandra Tjitendero, was laid to rest at the Berlin cemetery of the Jerusalem and New Church Community in the district of Kreuzberg.

A Namibian delegation, composed of family members, representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'is of Namibia, and the Namibian government arrived in Berlin on Monday, 03 August 2015, to attend the funeral.

During a moving and emotional funeral service, Mr Ernest Tjitendero, brother of the late Mosé Tjitendero – first Speaker of Namibia's independent Parliament – spoke on behalf of the Tjitendero family; Hon Nangolo Mbumba, Secretary-General of the SWAPO Party, paid tribute to Ms Tjitendero on behalf of the SWAPO party; and Hon Prof Peter Katjavivi, current Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, conveyed a condolence message on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia. Other speakers included the Tjitendero children and grand-children, represented by Ripuree Tjitendero, the Parr family headed by Eric Parr, the brother of Sandra Tjitendero, Ms Nadiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Namibia, and Ms Uta von Both, the Bahá'í International Counsellor. Earlier, the German Foreign Office had also conveyed their condolences to the family.

In his tribute to Ms Sandra Parr Tjitendero, the Hon Prof Peter H. Katjavivi, read a message from H.E. President Dr Hage Geingob, which read as follows:

"Monica and I would like to join you and all others who are grieving at this moment in mourning the passing away of our dear comrade Sandra.(...) Although we cannot all be in Berlin to say goodbye to our beloved Sandy, our special thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with you and the family at this time of sorrow. We pray that her soul is peacefully in the hands of the creator and that her soul shall find eternal peace."

To continue reading the full Press Release as a pdf, please click here...

Click here for the full speech by Hon Prof Peter H. Katjavivi