The LPM leader Bernardus Swartbooi says German companies benefitted from the genocide between 1904 and 1908 that saw Hereros and Namas exterminated.
In his contribution to the National Assembly debate on the Joint Declaration on the 1904-1905 Genocide between Germany and Namibia, Swartbooi mentioned the Woermann family as one of those that benefitted from the genocide.
Swartbooi also said that the motion by the late Ovaherero paramount chief Kuaima Riruako suggested that the private companies that were part of the German war on Namibians should also be centre of the reparations question.
This matter, he said, has not even been taken up at all.
“Woermann family made huge profits by transportation of guns, soldiers, horses, camels and other needs for the war machine to function optimally. The names of these ships had all family members’ names given, and were: Eleanore Woermann, Lucie Woermann, Alexandra Woermann, Erich Woermann, Ernst Woermann, Gertrud Woermann, Eduard Woermann and Anna Woermann,” Swartbooi said.
The LPM leader also said the Tippelskirch Corporation made uniforms and equipment for the colonial troops, and was the second largest profiteer of the war, as well as the arms production companies.
“In brief, the entire German nation was mobilised for this colonial war,” he added.
What Swartbooi said could be linked to what the Jews did in August 1998, when they filed a federal lawsuit against several car manufacturing companies and electronic makers as well as steel makers for using Nazi-era slave labourers.
Some of the companies targeted were BMW, Daimler-Benz, Audi and Volkswagen, electronics maker Siemens, steel maker Krupp-Hoesch and engineering group MAN.
The class lawsuit came after two Swiss banks – Credit Suisse Group and UBS AG, agreed to pay US$1.25b to settle claims that they improperly held assets belonging to Holocaust victims and their heirs.
International Instruments
According to Swartbooi, there are several instruments that can be used to force Germany to comply with the demands of the genocide victims’ descendants.
He listed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) as well as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
According to Swartbooi, these rights speak to freedom from discrimination, the right to self-determination, and are inalienable rights to participation at both individual and collective levels.
“Participation rights of the affected communities are well established and respected under international law, and Namibia and Germany completely ignored these international Statues for their own government-to-government bilateral interests,” he said.
Swartbooi further said the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to Remedy and Reparations for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, stresses and amplifies, eloquently the right to remedy and reparations.
He added that several UN Bodies have expressed displeasure at the exclusion of the affected communities and these include the Working Group on the Rights of People of African Descent, in 2017.
The UN High Commission for Human Rights, he also said, under Michel Bachelet, in a letter dated 2 November 2018, asked the Foreign Minister Maas of Germany to secure participation of the affected communities.
“The UN Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review equally demanded for the inclusion of the affected communities, in May 2018,” he said.
In addition, Swartbooi said the Free Prior Informed Consent asserts that communities must freely, without manipulation or coercion, be recognised on matters pertaining to their well-being and must be consulted prior to any decision to be taken that affects them.
“The consultations must be genuine, sincere and inclusive. At best, the Namibian government’s approach to the affected communities was sectarian, factional and party political based,” he charged.
The LPM leader concluded by saying that the motion should be withdrawn and that real discussions be jump-started, with all affected community representatives, so that the Kuaima Motion is correctly implemented.
“Who told German and Namibian governments that people can’t handle their money? Who told you that trickle-down policy is what communities want? So that which networks can again steal and theft from Genocide resources? Former PLAN combatants are receiving direct pay-outs monthly, why should whoever dictate against this for the affected communities?” He asked.
