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Thursday, 25 June 2026
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Thursday, 25 June 2026
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Namibian press · Organization

Ovaherero

Also known as: Mbanderu

Community subjected to 1904–1908 genocide by German colonisers, currently seeking reparations and recognition from Germany.

2018-03-092026-06-25
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What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. June 2026

  2. New Era

    Ovaherero were targeted by genocide committed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908

    Source

    “The JD remains one of the most closely watched issues in Namibia-Germany relations as it seeks to address the genocide committed by German colonial forces against the Ovaherero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908.”

    Genocide: Germany willing to apologise
  3. February 2026

  4. New Era

    Ovaherero were systematically exterminated by fascist Germany in 1904-1908

    Source

    “Genocide pertaining to Namibia refers to fascist Germany's systematic extermination of Ovaherero and Nama in 1904- 1908, in what has come to be known as the 20th century's first genocide in the then "German South West Africa."”

    Opinion –  Genocide: Geopolitical factors, reparations claim

  5. The Namibian

    Ovaherero were deliberately killed estimated two thirds in South West Africa

    Source

    “The first genocide of the 20th century took place in South West Africa, where an estimated two thirds of the Ovaherero, a third of the Nama and numerous Damara and San people were deliberately killed, with lasting consequences for the descendants of the victims until today.”

    Germany’s Colonial Memory Failure
  6. May 2025

  7. The Namibian

    Ovaherero were targeted in an ethnic extermination by Germany between 1904-1908

    Source

    “Between 1904-1908, Germany launched an ethnic extermination against the Nama and Ovaherero people.”

    Genocide Remembrance Day: A Path Towards Reconciliation
  8. June 2020

  9. The Namibian

    Ovaherero fought a bloody battle against the Germans in 1904

    Source

    “This idea speaks to work by Nicola Brandt, who presents 'No Monument for the Fallen', which features an image of Katuvangua Migal Maendo, the great-granddaughter of Petrus Hui, looking out over a landscape alive with the memory of the Ovaherero's bloody battle against the Germans in 1904.”

    Namibian Landscapes – Dreamy And Dire
  10. September 2018

  11. The Namibian

    Ovaherero agencies pursued reparation claims including court case in New York

    Source

    “The actions by agencies of Ovaherero and Nama include a widely observed court case in New York.”

    Genocide Remains: Germany Still Has Work To Do…
Politics

Minister warns of attempts to undermine traditional authorities

The News

Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa has raised alarm over what he described as "underground capture" of Namibia's traditional authorities, warning that certain individuals are attempting to destabilise customary leadership structures. He stressed that recognition of traditional leaders will follow customary laws and cultural practices, and cautioned against what he termed the "over-democratisation" of traditional authorities.

17 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 17 June

  1. Minister warns of attempts to undermine traditional authorities

    Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa has raised alarm over what he described as "underground capture" of Namibia's traditional authorities, warning that certain individuals are attempting to destabilise customary leadership structures. He stressed that recognition of traditional leaders will follow customary laws and cultural practices, and cautioned against what he termed the "over-democratisation" of traditional authorities.

    17 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Tuesday 16 June

  1. President attends reparations conference in Ghana, visits Tanzania

    President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will travel to Ghana on Wednesday for a high-level conference on reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade, where heads of state and policymakers will discuss operationalizing a UN resolution recognizing the trade as crimes against humanity. Namibia will draw on its experiences with colonial dispossession and the genocide against Ovaherero and Nama communities (1904–1908), and the president will then undertake a state visit to Tanzania from 20–21 June to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

    16 June 2026 · The Namibian →

  2. President honours Chief Kahimemua as visionary anti-colonial leader

    At the 130th commemoration of Chief Kahimemua Hiakungairi Nguvauva, who was killed by German colonisers on 12 June 1896, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah praised him as a visionary leader who predicted the arrival of German settlers and resisted their occupation of Namibian land.

    16 June 2026 · New Era →

Monday 15 June

  1. Germany willing to apologise for colonial genocide, ambassador says

    Outgoing German Ambassador Thorsten Hütter expressed optimism that Namibia and Germany will conclude a long-awaited Joint Declaration addressing Germany's colonial-era genocide against the Ovaherero and Nama people (1904–1908) by the end of 2026. Hütter said Germany is willing to apologise and that discussions with affected communities showed many Namibians want both recognition of the past and a stronger future partnership.

    15 June 2026 · New Era →

Thursday 4 June

  1. Namibia marks second Genocide Remembrance Day with calls for justice

    Namibia observed its second Genocide Remembrance Day to reflect on the 1904–1908 genocide against the Ovaherero, Nama, Damara, and ≠Nkhoen San peoples. The commemoration emphasises the need for truth-telling, restorative justice, and Germany's full acknowledgment of responsibility for the genocide.

    4 June 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 31 May

  1. San, Damara demand seat in Namibia-Germany genocide talks

    The San Chiefs Council and Damara King's Council are demanding formal inclusion in Namibia's ongoing genocide reparations negotiations with Germany, citing historical atrocities including extermination campaigns, displacement and forced labour affecting their communities. The councils are calling for seats at the negotiating table alongside Ovaherero and Nama representatives, and for reparations and restitution including compensation for ancestral lands and cultural losses to directly benefit affected descendant communities.

    31 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 27 May

  1. Okandjoze Chiefs call for action on genocide reparations

    The Okandjoze Chiefs' Assembly on Genocide has called on the Namibian government to adopt a "business unusual" approach to genocide apology and reparations, saying years of discussions have produced little action. The group urged the government to move away from symbolic discussions and engage descendants of Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama communities differently on restorative justice.

    27 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →

Wednesday 22 April

  1. UN votes slave trade a crime against humanity, boosting Namibia reparations calls

    The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on 25 March recognising the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, with 123 votes in favour and 52 abstentions. Namibian subject experts say the vote bolsters local calls for justice regarding colonial-era genocide and reparations, and could pressure countries such as Germany to reconsider responses to demands of Namibians affected by the 1904 to 1908 genocide.

    22 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 3 March

  1. Okandjoze chiefs reject Germany genocide agreement

    The Okandjoze Chiefs' Assembly on Genocide has rejected the Joint Declaration between Namibia and Germany, telling President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah that it is "beyond reform" and fails to meet international reparations standards for the 1904-1908 genocide. The traditional leaders called for a new national conference, stronger domestic involvement of descendants, and alignment with the African Union's Algiers Declaration instead.

    3 March 2026 · New Era →

Monday 23 February

  1. Geopolitics complicates Namibia's pursuit of genocide reparations from Germany

    An opinion piece argues that geopolitical tensions—including Germany's support for Israel and Namibia's backing of Palestinian statehood—have hindered negotiations for reparations over the 1904–1908 genocide of Ovaherero and Nama. The author calls for Namibia to strengthen its negotiating position by unifying internally, centering victim communities' voices, and demanding legal recognition and direct reparations.

    23 February 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 15 February

  1. Germany backtracks on colonial accountability as new government sidelines Namibia

    Germany's commitment to reckon with its colonial past in Namibia has weakened significantly under the new CDU/CSU-SPD government, which mentions colonialism only briefly in its coalition agreement and makes no reference to Namibia. A newly appointed state secretary for culture dismisses adding colonialism to official memory culture as "dangerous relativism," citing the Holocaust as the singular reference point for German state ethics.

    15 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 7 February

  1. Unam graduates explore motherhood and trauma through art

    The University of Namibia's 2025 visual arts graduate exhibition, on display at the National Art Gallery of Namibia until 14 February, features work by six final-year students centred on motherhood, personal trauma and Namibian cultural heritage. Key installations include textiles honouring childbirth and motherhood, masks reflecting illness and resilience, and works engaging with the Herero and Nama genocide and indigenous cultural practices.

    7 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Ovaherero — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute