Let Curt stay - Hinda-Mbuende
Member of parliament Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, who is a descendent of the Nama and Ovaherero genocide victims, said a statue of coloniser Curt von Francois must remain in the capital for coming generations to have a tangible reminder of the horrific things he did to their ancestors.
Von Francois led 200 German Schutztruppe soldiers to carry out the 1893 massacre at Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi's headquarters at Hornkranz in the Gamsberg, in which about 80 people - including women and children - were killed in cold blood.
During an ordinary meeting held on Thursday, 27 October, the City of Windhoek council voted on the matter, with nine participants in favour of the removal and five against the removal of the statue.
The call to remove the statue has divided Namibians, with the youth saying it must be overthrown and replaced with the likeness of Jan Jonker, who “has indeed been the founder of Windhoek”.
There are, however, German-speaking Namibians and some members of the Nama and Ovaherero community who have called for the statue to remain in place.
Hinda-Mbuende agreed with Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) councillor Bernardus Araeb, who said the statue’s removal will erase the brutal history of colonial Germany in Namibia and what the Nama and Ovaherero people had to endure.
“Our children must be reminded of this history. In my opinion, Curt must stay so that they can always be reminded of what Germany has done,” Hinda-Mbuende said.
“In fact, the removal of such an important statue cannot be made in isolation and is too big and sensitive an issue to be decided upon by the City of Windhoek council.”
‘We don’t celebrate murderers’
Genocide reparations activist Sima Luipert, however, said Von Francois’ statue has no place as a centrepiece in the middle of the city, saying the very architecture and town plan of Windhoek reflect colonialism.
She stressed that Von Francois did not found the capital, and it thus makes no sense to have his statue as the first thing that greets visitors to a city where crucial decisions are made.
“He does not belong there. Let him go to the Alte Feste; we don’t celebrate murderers. He needs to be seen for the mass murder and first genocide he ordered in 1893 against the Witbooi people. It would probably be inconceivable to put a statue of Hitler in the middle of Berlin, but some feel Von Francois, who committed the same gross atrocities against the Nama, deserves a celebratory place in the centre of town.
“That would be as atrocious as the act of genocide he committed,” she said.
[email protected]
Von Francois led 200 German Schutztruppe soldiers to carry out the 1893 massacre at Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi's headquarters at Hornkranz in the Gamsberg, in which about 80 people - including women and children - were killed in cold blood.
During an ordinary meeting held on Thursday, 27 October, the City of Windhoek council voted on the matter, with nine participants in favour of the removal and five against the removal of the statue.
The call to remove the statue has divided Namibians, with the youth saying it must be overthrown and replaced with the likeness of Jan Jonker, who “has indeed been the founder of Windhoek”.
There are, however, German-speaking Namibians and some members of the Nama and Ovaherero community who have called for the statue to remain in place.
Hinda-Mbuende agreed with Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) councillor Bernardus Araeb, who said the statue’s removal will erase the brutal history of colonial Germany in Namibia and what the Nama and Ovaherero people had to endure.
“Our children must be reminded of this history. In my opinion, Curt must stay so that they can always be reminded of what Germany has done,” Hinda-Mbuende said.
“In fact, the removal of such an important statue cannot be made in isolation and is too big and sensitive an issue to be decided upon by the City of Windhoek council.”
‘We don’t celebrate murderers’
Genocide reparations activist Sima Luipert, however, said Von Francois’ statue has no place as a centrepiece in the middle of the city, saying the very architecture and town plan of Windhoek reflect colonialism.
She stressed that Von Francois did not found the capital, and it thus makes no sense to have his statue as the first thing that greets visitors to a city where crucial decisions are made.
“He does not belong there. Let him go to the Alte Feste; we don’t celebrate murderers. He needs to be seen for the mass murder and first genocide he ordered in 1893 against the Witbooi people. It would probably be inconceivable to put a statue of Hitler in the middle of Berlin, but some feel Von Francois, who committed the same gross atrocities against the Nama, deserves a celebratory place in the centre of town.
“That would be as atrocious as the act of genocide he committed,” she said.
[email protected]
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article