Namibians gathered at Shark Island in Lüderitz on Thursday to commemorate Genocide Remembrance Day, a newly declared public holiday observed annually on May 28.
The day honours the victims of the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama communities during German colonial rule.
Residents from the ǁKharas and Hardap regions gathered at Shark Island in Lüderitz as Namibia marked Genocide Remembrance Day.
The day, declared a public holiday from May 2025, serves as a national reflection on the atrocities committed against the Ovaherero and Nama people during German colonial rule.
Addressing the commemoration, the Governor of the ǁKharas Region in Namibia, Dawid Gertze, explained the significance behind officially recognising May 28 as Genocide Remembrance Day.
“The decision to officially recognize May 28as a genocide remembrance day was not taken lightly. It was preceded by broad and meaningful consultations with traditional leaders and affected communities. historians and stakeholders across our nation. Together, we sought a date that would be neutral, inclusive, unifying and historically grounded. A date belonging to all descendants of the genocide.”
Gertze stated that the commemoration is also a reminder that the suffering of victims must never be forgotten.
–Channel Africa–
