Schlettwein supports San commemoration
Grants access to paramount chief Fritz Aribeb's grave
The minister said the farm owner must be given three months' notice before the commemoration.
Agriculture, water and land reform minister Calle Schlettwein has officially requested the resettlement beneficiary and owner of Unit B of the Okorusu No. 88 farm to grant the Hai||om San access to the grave of late paramount chief Fritz Aribeb.
In 2022, members of the largest San tribe in Namibia commemorated their fallen leader in front of the closed gates of the farm, according to chief Joseph /Gomoseb.
"We greatly appreciate that Schlettwein sent his own people to investigate and recognise our leader," said /Gomoseb.
The paramount chief of the Hai||om San, Ananias Soroseb, said they hope to celebrate the commemoration on 10 December at the place where Aribeb's remains are buried.
'It means a lot to the Hai||om San tribe in Namibia that our hero fell at the hands of German forces in 1904 during the first San-German war. Since then, we have lost our ancestral land, our resources, our tradition, our animals and our dignity, even today," said Soroseb.
Access granted
Schlettwein announced that on 10 June, he met with Soroseb about the issue and was informed that the Hai//om San do not have access to Aribeb's grave.
The minister referred to government policy and the decision of the second national land conference of 2018 to grant communities access to important cultural and historical sites.
The minister emphasised that his request does not allow the Hai||om to occupy the farm and that the owner must be given three months' notice before the commemoration. Soroseb said he will contact the farm owner later this week.
The minister also informed the farm owner that the deputy executive director for land reform, resettlement and regional programmes of the ministry would visit the farm to inspect the grave.
/Gomoseb claimed, however, that the owner has already cut down the tree at the grave and removed the stones used to mark the grave.
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In 2022, members of the largest San tribe in Namibia commemorated their fallen leader in front of the closed gates of the farm, according to chief Joseph /Gomoseb.
"We greatly appreciate that Schlettwein sent his own people to investigate and recognise our leader," said /Gomoseb.
The paramount chief of the Hai||om San, Ananias Soroseb, said they hope to celebrate the commemoration on 10 December at the place where Aribeb's remains are buried.
'It means a lot to the Hai||om San tribe in Namibia that our hero fell at the hands of German forces in 1904 during the first San-German war. Since then, we have lost our ancestral land, our resources, our tradition, our animals and our dignity, even today," said Soroseb.
Access granted
Schlettwein announced that on 10 June, he met with Soroseb about the issue and was informed that the Hai//om San do not have access to Aribeb's grave.
The minister referred to government policy and the decision of the second national land conference of 2018 to grant communities access to important cultural and historical sites.
The minister emphasised that his request does not allow the Hai||om to occupy the farm and that the owner must be given three months' notice before the commemoration. Soroseb said he will contact the farm owner later this week.
The minister also informed the farm owner that the deputy executive director for land reform, resettlement and regional programmes of the ministry would visit the farm to inspect the grave.
/Gomoseb claimed, however, that the owner has already cut down the tree at the grave and removed the stones used to mark the grave.
– [email protected]
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