RELATIONSHIPS OF MUTUAL BENEFIT OR EXPLOITATION?

I believe in relationships of mutual benefit. I abhore relationships of exploitation. In meeting you, you have to gain something from my contact, and I should from you. If It is one sided, then there should not be the need to remain in contact.

Slinger’s Slaying: a Rude Reminder of History’s Atrocities

IN our African customs, a deceased person goes through a particular right of passage to the "other side". Until his body has gone through that right of passage and until it has been duly laid to rest, a deceased person in our customs has a right to dignity, and that dignity must be revered and protected. The respectful treatment of a decead's remains is not particular to Africa; it a custom that is observed in varied ways the world over. It is therefore hurtful that Mr Axarob Slinger's body was thrown into a wathog hole, alongside his dogs' bodies, without more.

The regrettable murder of the late Slinger sents a cold chill down the spine of history. And the manner in which he was burried is a confrontational and rude reminder of the absolute contempt of the racial Other that still prevails in Namibia. Slinger's murder may, in some circles, be conveniently classified as yet another crime in Namibia. However, the identity of his alleged perpetrator brings to the fore – and with a degree of urgency – a need to engage frankly with race relations in Namibia. Slinger was allegedly shot dead by a Namibian of German descent, Mr Karl Eichhoff.

Why Slinger's murder is a dive into history

At the dawn of the 20^th century, the German government issued an order for the extermination of certain native peoples of Namibia. The manner in which that order was carried out was much like the manner in which Slinger was killed – executed alongside his animals in the wilderness and his remains left to the vultures.

 

It is notable that Slinger's murder happened in October, the same month during which Namibia is commemorating one the most heinous crimes against humanity, the said extermination order. We had hardly returned from a pilgrim at Ozombuzovindimba, where 109 years ago, the infamous order against our people was issued, when we received the bad and sad news of Slinger's murder.

Slinger's execution bears close resemblance to the way in which our forebears were wiped out, one-by-one, by Eichhoff's forebearers during the time of Germany's imperial occupation of our native and motherland. One such resemblance is that Slinger went to look for his goats on that specific day, and  as history will have us recall, the Battle of Otjunda in 1896 started for similar reasons. The cattle of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu were deemed to have crossed artificial grazing lines. They were subsequently impounded and sold. Chief Kahimemua Nguvauva and Nicodemus Kambahahiza Kavikunua were declared rebels for defending their rights and property in that they sought to have the cattle released. On 11 June 1896, Kavikunua and Nguvauva were found guilty of high treason and they were executed on 12 June 1896.

Our colonial history, especially under German oppression, was one chequered with elimination onslaughts and  butchery of our people. This was punctuated with sham peace treaties all which were meant to slowly wipe us out.          

Today, the descentens of the victims identified in the extermination order are seeking recognition of the hineuos crime that was committed against us by the German government, as well as reparations for the suffering and displacement that our ancestors endured.

Memory is central to the identity of social groups, and reminders of what our ancestors went through at the hands of the Germans are vast. To the extent that the memory of the victims of the genocide (both the ancestors and their descendants) has been battered and traumatised, it calls for healing and rehabilitation. A form of reparation is a necessary pre-condition for this  healing and rehabilitation. This is because reparations, by their very nature, are a compelling critique of history, and thus a formidable restraint of its repetition.

 

At present, history is constantly repeating itself in that we are seeing vestiges of an orcherstrated attempt to massascre indigent black neighbours in modern day Namibia. Slinger's murder takes centre stage and serves as a case in point, owing to its currency and shamefulness. But it is not the first or the only incident of its nature.

Absent reparations, therefore, the victims of history will continue to be victims, and will continue to be in need of rehabilitation, while their violators—as a recognized group— continue to "pursue a privileged existence secure in the spoils of a sordid history."

 

 

On the ugent need to engage with race in Namibia

There is a need to cohabit as fellow citizens in a democratic Namibia premised on the rule of law. However, such cohabitation will only be brought about by an active negation (by the citizenry) of the atrocities of the country's history. Namibia's history is a racialised one, and the racism is premised on a denial of humanity to a vast majority of the population, and manifested in the forms of oppression, exploitation and violence of the kind exerted upon Slinger (and his dogs).

 

To negate history's atrocities, the former (and continued) oppressors need to rally together with the formerly (and continued) oppressed, and speak out against actions such as the bullying that was orchestrated by Eichhoff on his indigent and landless neighbours. This request is not and could never be disproportionate or unfair on the German community (in this case).

 

Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka expressed the sentiment well (in his books The Burden of Memory, the Muse of Forgiveness)  when he noted that the "scales of reckoning with mortality are never evenly weighted, alas, and thus it is on the shoulders of the living that the burden of justice must continue to rest." This is because "where there has been inequity, especially of a singularly brutalizing kind that robs one side of its most fundamental attribute—its humanity—it seems only appropriate that some form of atonement be made, in order to exorcise the past." That form of atonement would be for the German community, on account of their role in history, to rise to the fore and lead the battle against anti-black racism in Namibia. Importantly, they need to lead the campaign for the recognition of the humanity of indigent and landless farm dwellers in Namibia. We argue this way because we hold the view that Eichhoff's actions against Slinger (and indeed his neighbours), were an embodiment of the contempt and disdain he had against his black and economically disadvatanged neighbours.

 

Ovaherero/Ovambanderu Genocide Foundation (OGF)

WINDHOEK

(Nandasora Ndjarakana is a member of the OGF  Coordinating Committee)

 

 

SBF FrankTalk: Biko: Some African Cultural Concepts

http://sbffranktalk.blogspot.com/2013/05/biko-some-african-cultural-concepts.html

Your Name is Your Label

(Unbridled Thoughts of a Pan-Africanist)

 If you cannot define or know the meaning of your name, then you do not know your identity. Give me a reason for not having an African name! I feel happy and proud when an African gives his/her child an African name, because our African names have a meaning that connects us to our African identity. Our names are our identity, our LOGO. As Africans, our names are a reflection of something. A name without a meaning that connects you to your roots is a license to have a lost identity. The name is the first thing that we use to define a human being, the first gate to your identity.

When we despise our identity, the signs come in the form of naming (our children or ourselves in foreign languages, or pronouncing our African names with a foreign accent that deforms the real name, calling ourselves with nicknames to conceal our real names), dress (reject our traditional dress), language (do not want to speak your mother tongue, or speak it with a foreign accent to fit in), community (you reject the community or tribe you are from normally by associating more with people of other tribes or cultures), food we eat, the music we listen to (becomes music from other cultures), reject our religion in the name of moving with civilization.(we think ours is pagan or backward).

All these are a result of rejecting who you are. It becomes a self-inflicted annihilation that tries to deform (not transform) one into something he/she has been made to believe that it is more enhanced than who you are. All this comes from our orientation which has touched our core values as Africans and wants us to become ore European or Caucasian; a task we shall never achieve. We will only achieve destroying our being, because we will end up not where we wish to go, and not where we come from.

I am I allowed to boldly state that we have killed our Africanness by adopting meaningless foreign names and cultures without understanding them or adopting them to our systems? Is it a rejection of ourselves when we adopt what is foreign without enhancing what we had?

Mind your thoughts and Motives……

I am

How I miss the warmth of the one

I see the unpalatable

What she thinks I do not know....

 

A fool I am not

Do not undermine my ability

My sacrifices may seem insignificant to you

 

I am not him

I am not them

For I am

 

If you choose to see not me

You will not see me

You will see not me

Caged!

(Unbridled Thoughts of A Pan-Africanist)

Mentally caged!

Trapped in Pain

Caged in fear

 

Trapped by foreign beliefs and believes

Caged by ignorance

Trapped by denying and rejecting who we are

Caged in poverty

Trapped by useless jealousy

Caged by inexperience

Trapped by intoxicating indulgence

Trapped in foreign languages and culture

 

Please wake me up

For my time is now

I cut ALL my chains of bondage now

 

May I be me

May I reject the artificial me

May I discover my purpose on earth

May I be true to my indigenous knowledge

May I be trapped in wisdom

May I serve my people

 

May I be the earth's seasoning

For I am.

The Signature Look

The wide big eyes….

Like an Afrikan awl? Ha! Ha!

Reminds me of the Afrikan sun, moon and the stars.

Which brings hope to Afrikans.

 

The eyelashes….

Reminds me of the brush from our ox-tale

Tails of our ceremonial cattle

Used to clean our houses

May they shield and protect those handsome eyes.

May they shield you from seeing bad no more.

 

Ohivara*....

Reminds me of the creator's handy work

May it be the gate to your heart

A heart with a space for a true AfriKan Woman.

 

The hair….

Black with traces of grey

Reminds me of the years past

Of the seasoning by Afrikan standards

May wisdom be reflected in you

May you represent Afrika.

 

The soft,  yet engaging voice…

Reminds me of our forebearers.

 

The voice….

Cool, collected and calculated to build

Never given to rage and destruction

 

The physical build-up….

Reminds me of our Afrikan soldier

Who protected our women and land

It reminds me of our Afrikan man

Who has cared for our ancestral cattle

 

The intellect….

Reminds me of the Afrikan man we had before colonial times

Filled with wisdom bred in Afrika.

 

The skin and its tone….

Reminds me of the Afrikan soil

Filled with wealth sought for by the world

Feeding the needs and wants of the world.

 

The signature look…

May it bring hope to Afrika

May it be a true reflection of the Afrika in you

The Afrika we should build.

 

*The space between the front teeth.

 

Poem Inspired by an African Queen (Amanda Kaipiti)

The Eve of Her Leave

May my Great God give me strength

Strength to let her leave without a tear drop

Parting ways for any reason is a journey into discomfort

 

May I celebrate her presence now

 I enjoy the feel of her presence

 

May I enjoy her now before tomorrow comes

For tomorrow will carry her away

 

May tomorrow come with joy

The joy of parting ways

For parting ways will allow for our next meeting.

The Snoring Strange Mate

I woke up to a sound

I woke up to sounds

How I wish it was sweet

Sweet like the melodies

from an Afrikan bird of the Afrikan Savanna or Jungle!

How I wish it was the sweet voice of my beloved

 

Awakened by the sound of a tractor ploughing our Afrikan fields

No! It is the sound of my strange hotel room mate!

 

I turn and twist in vain

I cover my head with my pillow

The sound is still in my ear
It reminds me of the roaring lions of Afrika

 

I pray for the morning to come

The morning to release me from bondage

 

The irritation is unbearable

Should I shake him up?

Should I sing to my ancestors?

I slide the side lamp do produce a sound
I hit my wooden bed with my shoe
I sound awakens him

It sounds like the sound from the ancestral
bongo drums of the Congo!

Behold!
The snoring stops....!
Only temporarily
My torment continues....!

 

 

Better than THEM for Her

Meditations of a Son of Ovandu

(Unbridled thoughts)

 

For me to be good, I must be better than most men she has met and or associates with. I must earn more than her and should have schooled more than her. I must have an imposing personality that makes me irresistible to handle. I must have solutions to almost all the problems and act like I am on top of my game. I have seen that sharing most of my fears and challenges makes me unattractive and uninspiring. Keeping them to myself bring trouble from her again! have wished to share my problems, but this makes me more worthless in her eyes. For she sees me as luggage that is baggage for her. She feels I will hinder her progress. I have sacrificed my thoughts and time....I have resolved not to hurt her, in speech and deeds. Fate has it that my choice of action leads to unpleasant results. Which in turn makes it tough for her. Her circle of influence and her temperament allows her to be more aggressive and reckless in her use of speech. My duty is to balance these....my duty is to endure in a cool manner...never to be a man given to anger. For the love and wisdom of our fore-bearers, one has to be careful not to attract unnecessary friction. In our balancing act, I must safeguard my ego. For my ego is the ME that must be nourished and not allowed to perish. Who is a man with a beaten ego...? Who can be a man with a soiled ego...?

 

Your anger comes because I am too slow for you...Which yardstick are you using? I do not do what you expect me to do. We have not shared my fears, but in your eyes I am hopeless and useless. I will not confront you right now. For my spirit is agitated. I have been taught by my beloved father to mind the way I feel and the words  use. I know that words spoken in anger are weapons of mass destruction.

 

May the wisdom of my fore-bearers be upon me like a strong umbrella. May it be upon me like the green pasture that fed our ceremonial and ancestral cattle. May the wisdom of those who came before me be like the rays of a rising sun which brings hope upon all the inhabitants of our earth. May wisdom make me graze on humbleness...may wisdom be like the holy fire of my people...may it connect me to my creator. For our sake. 

Defuse the Deception

(Unbridled thoughts of A Pan-Africanist)

The REVOLUTION starts by defusing the deception based on the psychological front. the control is based on the agenda of creating in our minds the belief that theirs is THE way and it is the panacea for all or challenges and problems. Our strength lies in the realization by US that the slave mentality created by this agenda will only maintain and enhance our slave condition. They will come in the image of brother (your brother). Speak in the language of my brother, your brother. Act like the brother I should have and know. This is a trap the trap....in the name of my brother....and for my sake. I do not believe in a brotherhood of exploitation. I believe in a partnership of mutual understanding and benefit.

I am An Alcoholic

When I drink I feel good

Later I am lazy

I cannot even feel or lift my legs

At the end of the day

My money is zero

My family is hungry

My family is angry

 

Alcohol you control me

You make me helpless

You are good in time of pleasure

But later I regret everything

I am an alcoholic

The cunning nature of the whites

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ihonga hengari <ihongahengari@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 18:33:28 +0200
Subject: the cunning nature of the whites
To: ndjarakana..@gmail.com

The main elements of culture are dress,language,religion and food,look at
what the white does to displace your culture as an intergral part of
gaining dominion over everything,
A white man will start by formating your brain and load his new perceptions
in to your head through the shit he calls education,he will teach you to
always speak in english,the type of food you must eat,how you should dress
... and even introduce his religion that will make you feel that your own
native religion is inferior.He will even give a mortal blow to your culture
by making you believe that culture is dynamic while he clearly knows that
he is the one who engineered and crafted everything so that anything he
wants to do runs softly.

BUT I CONGRATULATE HIM BECAUSE HE FINALLY WON,FOR EXAMPLE I USED ENGLISH TO
CONVEY THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH.


**

The Game of the Colonizer (Exposed)

(Bridled thoughts of a Pan-Africanist)

 

You rejoice in me being down

You rejoice in me being a slave

You rejoice in me being the exploited

You rejoice when you exploit me

You kill me for waking up

 

My resources are for others

The rules are not made for me

The rules are against me

 

You make my people fight each other

You make my brother my enemy

You make my neighbor my enemy

 

You make me despise who I am

You make me rejoice in who I am not

 

You have poisoned my mind

You have made me reject my humanity

 

You make me play a game

A game with your rules

You set the rules against me

 

I lose the game before it starts

For the rules are to make you the winner

 

You make me rejoice in the downfall of my brother

In you I hope to get relief

Relief from the pain and suffering from you

 

You are my yoke of suffering

 

Your brotherhood is unbalanced

You come like a brother

You abuse my brotherhood to you

 

You kill my visionary leaders

You trick me into believing in you

You make me believe in my fake leaders

You make me believe that your view is the only view

 

You exploit my resources

You make me value your goods

You make me reject my own goods

 

I have known you for centuries

I know your greatness

I know the greatness of my people

 

You make me believe I cannot be without you

You make me a worshiper of your ancestors

You make me reject my ancestors

 

The revolution shall be

For I am still an African

I have great ancestors

I will not reject them

 

I have found my great connection

I am great

The great shall rise to be

 

You shall never kill a resolve to be free

Freedom is part of me

Even under bondage

Even under your yoke

I am free

For freedom is in my spirit

Bed of Solitude

My bed

You have become a place of exile

Exile from my beloved

 

Each night is a journey

A journey through a jungle of my thoughts

 

My bed

You are too big for me

For you remind me of someone special

Should I cut you in halve?

 

I wish to come late to you

For I do not wish to be reminded of the absence of the one

 

Some nights are spent awake

For the reality is too much to bear

 

My solitude is my servitude

 

I am propelled by hope

Hope for the next day

Next day may bring the day to be with her

 

May the sleepless nights pay off

 

My struggle is over today

The morning has found me

It brings with it fuel for hope

For the sun raises from her direction

The sun rays or light passes over her first

 

The day begins with me ready and waiting

It must find me waiting

It must find me awake

I must receive the first light from upon her.

 

Mbanderu Youth Association of Botswana (MYAB)'s Position on the Ovambanderu Leadership Dispute

The Mbanderu Youth Association of Botswana through its National Executive Committee adopted a "Non – alliance" stance on the Mbanderu dispute which started as a disagreement on the provisions of a constitution purported to be adopted by a section of the oVambanderu in Namibia on behalf of the entire tribe. The conflict has now grown and mutated to a succession dispute. One group is rally behind Keharanjo Nguvauva while the other group is behind Kilus Karaerua Nguvauva. This has been a long and protracted dispute, now at its manifest stage where everyone, passively or actively involved feels the heat. The purpose of this article therefore, is to explain how and why the Mbanderu Youth Association of Botswana adopted a "Non-alliance" position.
This position was first discussed at the association's national conference held on the 26th May 2007 in Sehitwa, and later endorsed by a national consultative workshop(Leadership forum) held on the 27th September 2008, in Francistown. On the 1st November 2008 the Myab National Executive Committee adopted it as an official position of the association, on the matter.
I presume is now the duty of all the structures of the association including individual members to ensure total commitment to the position to show unity of action and purpose. We should be vehemently defend and explain it, to all who seek clarification and justification, without fear or flattery. During the discussions the following reasons and factors were noted and considered;
1. Lack of facts and direct involvement in the whole crisis:-It is true that people in conflict tend to put their side of the matter in a better light, and this employs the use of extreme rhetoric by the parties involved. Since we are not directly involved in the strategic planning sessions including meetings, our judgment and choice will short of true/real facts and become skewed(it will be from a less informed position), hence better to remain non-aliened.
2. Legal requirements:-We are not Namibians. The parties involved sort the assistance of the Namibians courts of law and legal systems to determine the matter. In terms of the law, we are technically excluded from the whole issue. Even the said constitution has little or no direct effect on us. Involvement in the matter at that level will compromise our legal status and put us in an awkward position. Our allegiance and support will also compromise the legitimacy of the issue(s) and weaken the position of the group we are to support in the eyes of the Namibian government and the law.
3. Mediation:-Conflict is a universal phenomenon wherever people, with their diverse unique natures, work for the same institution. It is present in a wide range of social relationships and can occur in a particular individuals, between different individuals and between groups. Positive or negative consequences, depends largely on the approach followed and the nature of the solution. Our believe is that, the solution to this conflict is through negotiation, and we have already availed our selves for that purpose. On that basis is neither logical nor strategic for us to endorse and support any of the conflicting parties.
How to behave (members)?
First and foremost we should accept that there is a conflict in our tribe, which resulted in the emergence of two antagonistic groups. Secondly we should view this conflict as an opportunity to improve and develop our conflict management capacity as a tribe. Our actions and general behavior therefore, should reflect the principle of 'non-alliance'. We should not seem to be;
1. hostile to any of the groups
2. working in cahoots with any of the groups
3. engaged in hate-talk or speech for/against any of the groups
In conclusion we should understand that the Mbanderu Youth Association of Botswana can't force peace upon the parties, but at least we can create a space and an atmosphere, in which talks can start. It is our obligation as an association to ensure that there is peace, harmony and cohesion in our people. It is my honest believe that you will heed the call and support the course.
Thank you,
Tjiramanga Kavei
Secretary General-MYAB
23/06/2010

From the MYAB Website:
http://mbanderuyouthbotswana.m.webs.com/site/mobile?dm_path=%2Findex.htm&fw_sig_premium=0&fw_sig_site=59125408&fw_sig_social=1&fw_sig_url=http://mbanderuyouthbotswana.webs.com/&fw_sig_api_key=522b0eedffc137c934fc7268582d53a1&fw_sig_time=1367642663410&fw_sig_access_token=fb79c65c12fe53a2057b3395ae15e5e9406166ad&fw_sig_permission_level=0&fw_sig_is_admin=0&fw_sig_session_key=100ef0b1853b8297248c107b8b037345bb584406eaca0626412794228d1ac08a-59125408&fw_sig_tier=0&fw_sig_permissions=none&fw_sig=45ae7b0ded41813409cabd162a542a9d&fb_sig_network=fw#2000

Fwd: Scars of Oppression

From: Prince Kamaazengi Marenga I

Scars Of Oppression barb-wire my people's personalities and imprison their egos in walls of shame or some "Wapula" of hopelessness. Grown Up Pain drives my people into conniptions of anger, some commit suicide, taking selves to early graves, many screw themselves up publicly, drinkin to death, eating to death (licking fingers greazy with death ingredients), smoking lungs out.... We, at Kalakuta calls for re-value "action", go back into our bloodstream and visit places our forebears travelled. Healing is a journey into our molecular structure, we need to take "dirt" off our DNA.....define things our way, name or rename this and that, use our brains (not the softwares installed through the school shit-stem, minds rotting from being exposed to too much europa, china or amerika), use our brains, polish that which is ours to educate our ex-enslaved selves back into Life! Life as instructed by socialism not the kind of life that capitalises on the weak to inveigle itsself into empty greatness!! From Kalakuta Republik with love, i remain Prince Kamaazengi Marenga I