Nama Traditional Leaders Association — advocates for affected communities' participation in development and preservation of genocide sites, opposing Shark Island industrial projects.
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June 2026
Windhoek Observer
NTLAhas argued beforethe Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Review and Reform
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“As NTLA has also argued before the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Review and Reform, Namibia's enacted laws and regulations do not consistently reflect constitutional principles in practice.”
NTLAhas elevatedindigenous and economic justice discourse to national prominence
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“it is increasingly undeniable that the Association helped elevate indigenous and economic justice discourse to a point where silence is no longer politically sustainable.”
Nama Traditional Leaders Associationhas cautioned thatNamibia's development push risks repeating historical exclusion patterns
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“The Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) has cautioned that Namibia's push for development risks repeating historical patterns of exclusion if affected communities remain sidelined from ownership and decision-making.”
Nama Traditional Leaders Associationshould haveequal representation and decision-making authority in reparations processes
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“He said the event should result in tangible outcomes, particularly progress in reparations negotiations that fully include representatives of affected communities such as the Nama Traditional Leaders Association.”
An opinion piece critiques a Namibian government remembrance programme held in Lüderitz on 27 May 2026, arguing that by framing traditional leaders' and affected communities' concerns as "misinformation," the programme treats legitimate structural and historical critiques as a communication problem rather than engaging with substantive objections to the government's development model.
An opinion piece critiques a Namibian government remembrance programme held in Lüderitz on 27 May 2026, arguing that by framing traditional leaders' and affected communities' concerns as "misinformation," the programme treats legitimate structural and historical critiques as a communication problem rather than engaging with substantive objections to the government's development model.
The Nama Traditional Leaders Association cautioned that Namibia's development push risks repeating historical exclusion patterns if affected communities remain sidelined from ownership and decision-making. The association argued that a true renaissance should include restorative justice, equitable ownership, cultural protection and meaningful participation in national wealth creation, rather than corporate social responsibility donations used as substitutes for meaningful redistribution.
The Nama Traditional Leaders Association is calling on the government to block planned industrial activities on Shark Island in Lüderitz, a site where Nama and Herero people perished during the 1904-1908 German colonial genocide. The association argues that the site, which they describe as a "living cemetery," must be preserved with dignity and respect rather than disturbed by oil, gas, or green hydrogen projects.
The Nama Traditional Leaders Association held a weeklong remembrance event at Lüderitz to educate Namibians about crimes committed against Nama and Ovaherero communities by the German colonial regime. The event brought together descendants and traditional leaders to transfer knowledge of the atrocities and their ongoing impact, with calls for the genocide to be integrated into formal education and for government action on historical injustices.
LPM councillor William Minnie says the annual Genocide Remembrance Walk in Lüderitz (10–12 April) must advance calls for justice, reparations and full recognition of the 1904–1908 Nama and Herero genocide, not merely ceremonial remembrance. He argues government must support institutionalising genocide education and inclusive reparations processes led by affected communities.