Latest news with #NyashaNyaungwa
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Namibia honours victims of colonial genocide as reparation calls grow
By Nyasha Nyaungwa WINDHOEK (Reuters) -Namibia honoured the victims of mass killings during German colonial rule with an inaugural memorial day on Wednesday, as politicians and affected communities voiced fresh calls for reparations from Berlin. German soldiers killed some 65,000 OvaHerero and 10,000 Nama people in 1904-1908 in what historians and the United Nations have long called the first genocide of the 20th century. In 2021 Germany officially described the massacre as a genocide for the first time, agreeing to fund development projects worth 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) in the Southern African country, but stopping short of paying reparations. Namibian officials and representatives of the OvaHerero and Nama people say that is not enough. "We should find a degree of comfort in the fact that the German government has agreed that German troops committed a genocide," Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told a solemn memorial event in the parliament gardens. "We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German government since 2013," she said. A spokesperson for the German embassy in Windhoek in response to an email request for comment referred Reuters to a statement the German government published on the memorial day. "The federal government acknowledges Germany's moral and political responsibility (for the killings) and emphasises the importance of reconciliation," the statement said. Namibia's government chose to mark Genocide Remembrance Day on May 28 because it was on that date that German colonial authorities ordered the closure of concentration camps. Charles Kakomee Tjela, a descendant of genocide victims who attended the event in the parliament gardens, told Reuters the genocide should feature more prominently in school curricula. Hoze Riruako, an OvaHerero chief, said the colonial-era atrocities were a prelude to the Holocaust but "people are not aware of what has happened here to the same level". Some representatives of the OvaHerero community boycotted memorial proceedings because they think the agreement for Germany to fund development projects over 30 years does not address their grievances. Nandi-Ndaitwah said on Wednesday negotiations with Germany would continue and that any final agreement should be "satisfactory, particularly for the directly affected communities". McHenry Venaani, an opposition leader, agreed Germany's initial offer was insufficient. "We are demanding a fair deal," Venaani said. ($1 = 0.8838 euros)
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Namibia's new president vows to diversify economy, tackle joblessness
By Nyasha Nyaungwa WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia's newly elected President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah pledged on Friday to boost investments in the agricultural sector and diversify the resource-focused economy in an attempt to address high unemployment rates. Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became Namibia's first female president after her SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3 million people for more than three decades, secured victory in both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November. Namibia has seen relatively strong economic growth in recent years, primarily due to investments in oil, gas and green hydrogen. But World Bank data indicate the southern African nation ranks second highest globally for income inequality. "We are going to increase investments in the agriculture sector to increase output and meet domestic food requirements," Nandi-Ndaitwah said in her inaugural speech after being sworn in as president. She also committed to diversifying the economy, enabling citizens to "derive maximum benefits from our country's natural resources, through value addition". Diversification, she added, would "create jobs to take care of the unemployed, of which the majority are the youth." She also stressed the need for maintaining high ethical standards among public servants and combating corruption. SWAPO's public support has fallen in the last decade due to dissatisfaction with high unemployment, inequality and graft allegations. The party secured 57% of the votes in November's presidential race, compared to 87% in the 2014 election. Nandi-Ndaitwah's inauguration was attended by dignitaries including seven incumbent and nine former African presidents. Last month, Namibia's Supreme Court dismissed a challenge against the presidential election brought by opposition parties, which said the vote was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Namibia's top court dismisses opposition election challenge
By Nyasha Nyaungwa WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a challenge against last year's presidential election brought by opposition parties, clearing the way for the ruling party's Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to take office next month. The Southern African country's SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3 million people for more than three decades, won both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Opposition parties alleged the election was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues. Namibia's Chief Justice Peter Shivute ruled that the decision to extend voting was lawful and dismissed the challenge brought by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which came second in the polls. In its case, the IPC was joined by another opposition party, the Landless People's Movement. "Their challenge to the outcome for the 2024 presidential election ... fails," Shivute said. The IPC's leader and presidential candidate last year, Panduleni Itula, said his party would abide by the judgment. "We are not going to the streets to demonstrate or anything like that," Itula said. Nandi-Ndaitwah will be sworn-in as Namibia's first female president on March 21. (Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning)
