Swakopmund: Former Member of Parliament (MP) Usutuaije Maamberua has called on the government to urgently pursue a comprehensive reparatory justice framework, including the establishment of an independent genocide reparations foundation and stronger international recognition of the 1904-1908 genocide. Speaking at the Genocide Remembrance Day commemoration in Swakopmund, Maamberua, who in 2016 introduced a motion in the National Assembly urging government to declare an annual Genocide Remembrance Day, said the adoption of the motion marked a historic milestone in Namibia's pursuit of reparatory justice.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Maamberua emphasized the importance of the formal adoption of 28 May as Genocide Remembrance Day, highlighting it as a triumph of parliamentary sovereignty and democratic consensus. This recognition, he noted, provides the national legislative platform from which Namibia can launch its international fight for reparations. He urged descendants of genocide victims to immediately establish a unified Genocide Reparatory Justice Foundation to independently manage restorative funding and development initiatives for affected communities.

The former MP criticized the current fragmented approach, stating it weakens the struggle for reparations and benefits Germany geopolitically while leaving affected communities economically disadvantaged. He proposed replacing the current bilateral Joint Declaration process with a trilateral negotiation framework involving Germany, Namibia, and representatives of affected communities, including the diaspora. Maamberua argued that true justice requires a three-party table where all parties participate as equal partners.

Furthermore, Maamberua called for urgent implementation of legislation criminalising genocide denial and the permanent protection of concentration camp sites from commercial development, particularly in Swakopmund. During the same event, Chairperson of the Genocide Committee in Erongo, Uahimisa Kaapehi, reflected on the painful history of Swakopmund, describing it as a central site of atrocities committed during the genocide. Kaapehi recounted how concentration camps in Swakopmund imprisoned starving Ovaherero and Nama people, many of whom were forced into hard labor to construct essential infrastructure.

Erongo Governor Natalia |Goagoses also addressed the gathering, emphasizing that the commemoration demonstrated that remembrance continues to live on through communities, ceremonies, and future generations. She declared that their memory cannot be erased, their dignity cannot be silenced, and their unity cannot be broken.