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Should Germany pay reparations to the Herero and Nama people?

By Avin Houro.


Originally submitted as an assessment for Freedom and Nation: The State in Post-Colonial Africa, 1956-2006.

The Herero and Nama people of Namibia are no strangers to the courtroom. From gaining independence in 1990, the law has since been used as instrument of justice for the horrors that occurred under their German coloniser. With the first challenge to the German state taking the form of a lawsuit filed in a U.S court in 2001[1], since then, 2018 saw the first oral debate between representatives of Herero and Nama groups and the German government in court[2]. But what are these Namibians fighting for? Reparations.


In 1904-1908, these two ethnicities experienced a colonial violence that not only had a basis of crimes against humanity, but also resulted in the first genocide of the 20th century. However, as the court dismissed the Herero and Nama’s case in the summer of 2019, a result of Germany’s sovereign immunity, it must be questioned whether Germany really does owe reparations to the two groups they once wished to exterminate[3]. By exploring the anguish experienced in former German South-West Africa by the Herero and Namas and how they are heavily impacted by them today, it is clear that to achieve their primary aim of challenging colonially-inherent structures, particularly regarding the distribution of land, some form of compensation is essential.


The Herero and Nama genocide:

In German South-West Africa, an uprising in January 1904 by the Herero, followed by a Nama rebellion in October 1904, led to the commander, General von Trotha, to order that same month that “every Herero…will be shot. I shall accept no more women or children. I will drive them back to their people, or I shall fire on them”[4]. Despite the Nama not being called out by name, they were also targeted, not only because of their resistance against the Germans, but also due to their rich land holdings[5]. Between 80,000-100,000 Herero and Nama people were executed, the majority being civilians and many being women and children[6].


Even though this took place more than a century ago, its result still heavily distresses both ethnicities today. This explains why German reparations are so significant: it is not only the monetary nature of the concept, but the very action itself that can fundamentally support the Herero and Nama people gain a sense of justness. This is especially emphasised when considering how the reparations, they so demand, will be used…


Land acquisitions:

The genocide in Namibia did not only cause harm against the body, it also led to the confiscation of a mass amount of Herero and Nama property. Due to this, access to land in present-day Namibia remains a great issue[7]. After gaining independence, more than 50% of all agricultural farmland is owned by the white-farmers who only make up 6% of the population[8]. In owning two-thirds of farms in the country[9], this ultimately highlights that despite no-longer being colonised, Namibia conserves the colonial structures put in place by the Germans. This is demonstrated by white settlers owning not only more, but better strips of farmland, as white-owned farms are about twenty-five times larger than black-owned farms[10].


Therefore, in campaigning for reparations, Herero and Nama peoples are hoping to buy back the land that once belonged to their descendants, from Namibians of German lineage[11]. This underlines that attempts to reverse the callousness of land-appropriation by the German regime requires compensation from that same state.


Aid vs. Reparations:

Despite these (more than) reasonable requests made by the Namibian groups, Germany has a history of refusing to engage with its harrowing past. From 1995, during the first state visit to Namibia, Helmut Kohl did not only abstain to mention the genocide, he also declined a meeting with a delegation of Herero chiefs[12]. This continued to 2019, where Daniel Günther’s summer visit maintains Germany’s disregard of reparation requests. Although, when directly asked about this issue, responses tend to follow with claims that anything it owes to Namibia is given in the form of development aid.


In triggering the ‘aid vs. reparations’ debate, Germany fails to consider the notable differences between the two concepts. As stated by Tom Bentley, ‘aid’ is given on German terms, tied to conditions they dictate, whereas reparations are driven by input from the victims and contains that ultimate sense of apology[13]. Therefore, German development aid to Namibia is not an appropriate substitute for reparations because the symbolic weight attached to reparations, despite being financial compensation, remains immaterial.


The German government’s refusal to address these issues poses uncomfortable questions, including that forwarded by Rhoda Howard-Hassmann and Anthony Lombardo of “why the Jews, why not Africans?”[14]. Germany’s continuation of providing reparations today to Jews, following the Holocaust of 1930s-40s, emphasises that German authorities visibly understand the distinction between aid and reparations. Additionally, with Germany stating that any Namibian financial compensation would be given in aid for ‘targeted projects’[15], as opposed to reparations, the Herero and Namas are explicitly prevented from gaining the resources needed to buy back stolen land.


Final Thoughts:

While Herero and Nama representatives have since appealed the dismissed court case for reparations, it is clear that Germany has a moral duty to provide financial compensation to the two ethnicities. Namibia is one of many countries that exhibits the inexistence of a ‘colonial past’. There is only an ongoing colonial present. Unless both ethnicities receive some form of money, they will continue to endure this series of racial oppression by settlers. Buying back expropriated land would be key in breaking away from this.

[1] Leonard James, “Germany Faces Colonial History in Namibia” in The Age of Apology, ed. Mark Gibney, (Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008), p. 203


[2] Howard Taylor, “US court hears case against Germany over Namibian genocide”. Al-Jazeera, July 31, 2018. Accessed October 27, 2019


[3] Anonymous, “US judge dismisses Namibian genocide claims against Germany”. DW, March 7, 2019. Accessed October 23, 2019



[5] Jeremy Sarkin, Colonial Genocide and Reparations Claims in the 21st Century (London: PSI Reports, 2009), p. 5


[6] ibid


[7] James, The Age of Apology p. 202


[8] ibid


[9] ibid, p. 50


[10] ibid


[11]Anonymous, “Namibia is serving Germany for reparations and here is how people are reacting”. African Vibes, June 1, 2018. Accessed October 23, 2019


[12] James, The Age of Apology p. 202


[13] Tom Bentley, Empires of Remorse: Narrative, Postcolonialism and Apologies for Colonial Atrocity (Abingdon: Routledge Press, 2015) p. 5


[14] Rhoda Howard-Hassmann and Anthony Lombardo. “Framing Reparation Claims” African Studies Review, Vol. 50, No. 1 (April 2007), p. 33


[15] Regina Paulose, and Ronald Rogo. "Addressing Colonial Crimes Through Reparations” State Crime Journal 7, No. 2 (Autumn, 2018), p. 378

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