The NamDia Foundation has been criticized for its lack of support for a ceremony scheduled for April 21-22 to commemorate the victims of the Shark Island genocide in Lüderitz in the ||Haras region of the Nam Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA), reported The Namibian on March 22.
This event will publicize the genocide unleashed by the German colonialists against the Nama and Ovaherero peoples in 1904-1908 and its impact on modern society, say its organizers.
Seema Luipert, NTLA international affairs adviser, said NamDia must take into account that the land it mines and sells Namibian diamonds on the international market was forcibly and brutally seized by German authorities.
Notably, NamDia is Namibia’s national diamond sales and marketing company.
“NamDia should explain to the Nam Traditional Leaders Association why they refused to support Genocide Remembrance Day. NamDia has a responsibility to the people of Nam, as well as to all the people of Namibia. So we want to know what they have “considered fully” and come to a consensus that they cannot support the event.”– she said.
In a press release published on Friday, NTLA’s Lazarus Kairabeb noted that the people of Nam have never received anything for their involvement in the diamond industry and are outraged at how some corporations continue to increase inequality. He said that’s why southerners were apathetic during the 2019/20 election.
The NamDia Foundation rejected what it called the “politicization and tribalization” of its efforts.
Foundation spokeswoman Beverly Kousseman said the foundation has invested around 6 million Namibian dollars (25.076 million rubles) in various programs in the Hardap region, such as building and donating an oxygen production facility to the Mariental State Hospital, as well as blankets and food packages. for the residents of Ces and Berseba of the region ||Haras.
He recalled that the foundation sponsored the Namibia Pan-African Center to celebrate in Keetmanshoop in June 2022 the Day of Remembrance of the national hero Abraham Morris, who fought against the troops of the Union of South Africa and died in 1922, and also provided scholarships to two students of the region ||Haras.
“It is clear that the foundation’s resources are limited and that it cannot approve all the applications it receives. However, by prioritizing its spending and focusing on achieving sustainable impact, the fund strives to achieve the most significant results within its capabilities.”— Kusseman responded to the criticism.
Johannes Ortman, Chairman of the Shark Island Genocide Commemoration Ceremony Organizing Committee, said the planned event will be educational for all Namibians, especially youth, and will include lectures, a visit to the genocide memorial, speeches by the NTLA and the traditional Ovaherero. authorities and a gala dinner.
“This ‘limited resource’ is an excuse we don’t believe in because these people are mining and selling our diamonds from our region. We came to the conclusion that the refusal is related to an act of genocide. We will be contacting the Minister of Mines and Energy to seek support from NamDia Foundations for this event as we take rejection seriously.”Ortman said.
Remember that the Shark Island death camp was located on Shark Island. It became the first large death camp in Namibia. In September 1906, some 1,800 prisoners from Nam arrived there, including Cornelius Fredericks, one of Nam’s strongest military leaders, who led an uprising against the German colonialists.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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