Namibia’s Chief Negotiator Confident Deal With Berlin Will Hold

Namibia’s chief negotiator Zed Ngavirue is confident that the reconciliation agreement proposed by Germany to recognise the crimes of the German colonial power more than 100 years ago can still go ahead despite criticism.

The negotiation had reached a point where both sides agreed, Ngavirue told dpa on Wednesday.

However, the timetable to sign the deal had to be delayed, as the Namibian parliament was in recess until June 8, he added.

Earlier this week, an association of chiefs of the Herero and Nama ethnic groups rejected the compensation in the agreement as an “insulting amount.”

The support payments of 1.1 billion euros (1.34 billion dollars) more than 30 years offered by the German government were “a shocking revelation,” “unacceptable” and an “affront to our existence,” representatives of the Council of Chiefs, which is recognised by the Namibian government, said in a statement on Monday.

Ngavirue however said that a majority of the chiefs last week agreed to the deal, despite some voicing opposition.

He also said allegations that the Council of Chiefs had not been involved in the negotiations were unfounded, as there had been many meetings with them.