600 genocide ex-pats from Botswana arrive 

• By Kaipaherue Kandjii

About 600 descendants of the victims of the 1904/08 Nama/å genocide from neighbouring Botswana set foot in Namibia a month ago. Most of the expats of the Otjiherero ethnicity currently reside in Gam village, on the outskirts of Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa region.

The organising committee member responsible for their integration in Namibia, James Uerikua, said 200 hundred people are in Gam. Uerikua, who also serves as governor of that region, says they anticipate an additional 400 in the next few days. 

The group, consisting of women, men and children, was initially expected to arrive in Namibia on the 31st of March in the Gam village, on the periphery of the Otjozondjupa region, as part of the resolution by Cabinet. Uerikua said a plot measuring 250,000 hectares has also been set aside at the village as a reception centre for the expatriates.

“As far as things are standing now, you might remember that we were in a stalemate where the community of the Botswana citizens of Namibian descent who wanted to repatriate back to Namibia have been indicating their readiness.  “However, we were experiencing a few challenges here and there, but today, I can gladly inform you that what happened now is that most of these delays are a thing of the past. 

“As I am talking, there are around seven to eight different families already in Gam who voluntarily repatriated themselves from Botswana. We received them through the traditional authorities and the councillor’s office; they are at the reception site in Gam. “There is also another group that has arranged itself of around 29 families, which indicates that by the 29th of July 2024, they would want to come as an entire group,” said Uerikua. The relocation was facilitated through a request by the community [itself from Botswana] in 2013 through the former high commissioner of Namibia to Botswana, Mbapeua Muvangua. Subsequently, an inter-ministerial committee was set up after the Cabinet’s resolution to kickstart the process. 

“We also have another separate group of 92 people who indicated that because of a lack of means amongst themselves they are seeking government assistance to be repatriated. So that group says they need to get hold of Botswana’s government to arrange the necessary processes. Those who came out of their own volition are already in Gam as we talking and what we made as a point from our end is to give them to necessary support because they already renounced their citizenship of Botswana, they already applied for Namibian citizenship and they have already been allocated citizenship. Some of the them even went to the extent of receiving their identity documents,” he added.

The descendants, which he also added are communal farmers, have expressed willingness to be relocated with their livestock to fast-track their integration and are expected to arrive with cattle, goats and horses, amongst others, which prompted the organisers to procure water tanks, flush toilets, food for 90 days, and tents before they are eventually “handed-over” to the Otjozondjupa Regional Council for relocation purposes.

“So the process is in full swing, and Namibia and Botswana have an excellent working relationship. “A good bilateral relationship which has now been escalated to a Bi-National Commission so that allows us to keep that relationship through by all means and possibilities. So having said that we are maintaining that relationship and anything that is to be happening between the two countries has to go through the proper set channels,”

There are modalities in place to protect the beef industry with the arrival of livestock as Gam village falls within the Veterinary Cordon Fence zones. The government, he stressed, also acquired five farms meant for their relocation to Namibia.

“Their farms were meant and are still for these repatriated communities. As we are talking those farms are still available. You might be aware that in the past there were reports of some individuals, Namibians, who out of their own accord wanted to invade into these farms and so forth but of course we managed to address that problem through the right channels. The farms are still available, they are five, three in Otjozondjupa region and one in Omaheke region and one in Hardap region and they are all meant for those returning to Namibia. There are those who have indicated that they cattle especially in the free zone area such as Charles Hill but then there also those who have cattle in the red zone who are coming to Gam. Gam is actually not a red zone but rather a green zone which is under surveillance. So, obviously, cattle going to that area must also be clean [of diseases] and that’s why the two governments took a resolution to say ‘any cattle coming into Namibia from Bostwana must go through the Trans-Kalahari Border Post because that is where free roaming and animals in the free zone are allowed to go. The [entry point] at Dobe Border Post doesn’t have the proper facilities and it [falls] into a red zone area into Tsumkwe. I must also add that government has prepared some 250 000 hectares of land which they acquired from the Kambazembi Traditional Authority in Gam and in this area, three boreholes were setup equipped with a garden and handling facilities to the tune of N$ 1,1 million, water is available and government has hired people to take care of these facilities, and they are just waiting for the owners to come and use these facilities,”

Uerikua added that although Namibia faces an unprecedented surge in demand for jobs, no scramble for jobs will ensue, saying among the expats are professionals such as teachers and nurses.

“This relocation process will not happen for the last time because it all depends on [the] demand so if 20 people [request] and say they want to come [from Botswana to Namibia] so you cannot say they cannot come, and remember Namibia and Botswana have a very cordial bilateral relationship which has since been elevated to a Bi-National Commission which is the highest form [of diplomacy] hence the usage of identity documents and other conditions for travel [between both nations],” Uerikua stressed.

In 1993, approximately 1175 expatriates returned from Botswana to Namibia, and most presently reside in Gam and Eiseb villages, respectively. Between 1904/08, German warlord Lothar von Throta issued an extermination order to eradicate all OvaHerero and Nama from the face of the earth during a colonial war of resistance. As a result, 80 % per cent perished, and a handful fled to neighbouring Botswana for refuge. 

In November 2021, according to an international report by Voice of America, Botswana’s minister of presidential affairs, Kabo Morwaeng, informed their legislature that Botswana has been facilitating dialogue with Namibian counterparts and the affected groups on the relocation.

“Those who qualify for any socio-economic program will benefit, provided they acquire citizenship through the necessary channels. “As we are talking about those who got repatriated, the school in Gam has been arranged, and children from the repatriated communities have already been admitted. 

‘Imagine some of these colleagues arrived a month or two ago, and their children are already in school. Upon acquiring their necessary documents, the pensioners will follow the required channels and be accepted into our social safety nets, including vulnerability and disability grants. He emphasised that they would qualify if they acquired Namibian citizenship through the necessary channels,” he stressed.