Germany is continuing to sidestep full responsibility for its colonial-era genocide in Namibia, according to Horst Kleinschmidt, a Namibian anti-apartheid activist who spoke at a recent event hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Cape Town.
Between 1904 and 1908, German colonial forces killed more than 70,000 Herero and Nama people in what historians recognize as one of the first genocides of the 20th century.
Kleinschmidt said Germany has yet to fully acknowledge the scale and nature of these atrocities or offer direct reparations to the descendants of the affected communities.
“What they did wrong before cannot be corrected in generalist ways. It cannot be done with money. It demands an attitudinal change,” said Kleinschmidt.
Germany has issued statements of regret and committed to economic aid for Namibia. However, critics argue that this aid is directed toward the Namibian state rather than the Herero and Nama communities who were directly affected by the genocide. The result, they say, is a failure to provide meaningful justice.
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Where does Germany stand in the present?
Kleinschmidt drew connections between Germany’s colonial past and its current role in global conflicts, particularly in the Middle East. He criticized Germany’s support for Israel and its supply of arms to the region, claiming this undermines the country’s stated commitment to peace. “They’re doing a double dip,” he said. “Pursuing yet again policies that lead to destruction.”
He added that remembrance efforts often reflect a double standard. While the Holocaust is rightfully commemorated worldwide, other atrocities such as the Namibian genocide receive far less attention. Kleinschmidt urged broader recognition of African histories of resistance and suffering.
Drawing on his own experience as a political prisoner under apartheid, Kleinschmidt also spoke about the thousands of Palestinians currently detained in Israeli prisons. He said continued global silence around both past and present injustices reflects a failure to learn from history.
“The international community must hold all governments accountable,” he said. “Otherwise, remembrance becomes meaningless.”
Image: Some members of the Herero people during the 1904–1908 genocide. Credit: Vatican News
