EPISODE · Jun 8, 2026 · 11 MIN
The Reparations in German Colonial Namibia Series | Genocide Remembrance Day
from CDH Conversations · host CLIFFE DEKKER HOFMEYR
Episode 2 of our CDH Conversations podcast series, The Reparations in German Colonial Namibia, is now available. Timed to coincide with Genocide Remembrance Day on May 28, this episode examines the controversy surrounding the date itself and explores why the affected communities have rejected it.In Episode 2, Patrick Kauta, lead counsel in the matter, is joined by Esther Shigwedha to explore the significance and controversy of May 28th.The discussion unpacks:The controversy over May 28 as Genocide Remembrance Day, a date marking the closure of German colonial concentration camps in 1908, which the OvaHerero and Nama communities reject as a day of remembrance.Why the affected communities regard the camp closures not as liberation but as the beginning of forced relocation, forced labour, and continued dispossession, with Paramount Chief Mutjinde Katjiua describing May 28 as "the day the OvaHerero people were reduced to slavery."The dates the communities themselves hold sacred: October 2, 1904, when General Lothar von Trotha issued his extermination order against the OvaHerero; and April 12, linked to the 1893 massacre at Hornkranz and the beginning of genocidal violence against the Nama.At its core, this episode asks a question that resonates well beyond Namibia: who gets to decide how genocide is remembered, and what happens when the descendants of victims are excluded from that decision?Building on the foundational context of Episode 1, this instalment provides listeners with a deeper understanding of why the politics of remembrance remain inseparable from the pursuit of restorative justice.Listen to Episode 2 now and continue following the series for deeper insights into one of the most significant reparations cases in Africa.
What this episode covers
Episode 2 of our CDH Conversations podcast series, The Reparations in German Colonial Namibia, is now available. Timed to coincide with Genocide Remembrance Day on May 28, this episode examines the controversy surrounding the date itself and explores why the affected communities have rejected it.In Episode 2, Patrick Kauta, lead counsel in the matter, is joined by Esther Shigwedha to explore the significance and controversy of May 28th.The discussion unpacks:The controversy over May 28 as Genocide Remembrance Day, a date marking the closure of German colonial concentration camps in 1908, which the OvaHerero and Nama communities reject as a day of remembrance.Why the affected communities regard the camp closures not as liberation but as the beginning of forced relocation, forced labour, and continued dispossession, with Paramount Chief Mutjinde Katjiua describing May 28 as "the day the OvaHerero people were reduced to slavery."The dates the communities themselves hold sacred: October 2, 1904, when General Lothar von Trotha issued his extermination order against the OvaHerero; and April 12, linked to the 1893 massacre at Hornkranz and the beginning of genocidal violence against the Nama.At its core, this episode asks a question that resonates well beyond Namibia: who gets to decide how genocide is remembered, and what happens when the descendants of victims are excluded from that decision?Building on the foundational context of Episode 1, this instalment provides listeners with a deeper understanding of why the politics of remembrance remain inseparable from the pursuit of restorative justice.Listen to Episode 2 now and continue following the series for deeper insights into one of the most significant reparations cases in Africa.
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The Reparations in German Colonial Namibia Series | Genocide Remembrance Day
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