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Von Trotha Street angers OvaHereroImage may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. A street named after former German military commander, Lothar von Trotha at Otjiwarongo has angered the OvaHerero community in the Otjozondjupa Region.
Von Trotha was a German army commander during the 1904-1908 Herero-Nama Genocide that saw the execution of thousands of people from the Nama and Ovaherero tribes in Namibia.
On 2 October 1904, he commanded his heavily armed German forces to kill all OvaHerero by poisoning their main sources of water and by means of gunfire.
The street named after him in Otjiwarongo is situated in the affluent residential area of Extension 5.
Spokesperson of the Otjiwarongo Municipality, Adelheid Shilongo told Nampa the street stretches for approximately 800 metres and was recently upgraded to bitumen standard when the sign bearing the name was erected.
Shilongo said the street was named after Von Trotha long before Namibia gained independence and the municipality, at the moment, has no committee responsible for the naming and re-naming of streets at the town.
She said OvaHerero people have a valid concern.
“We take note of their concerns and as soon as we return in 2017 we will introduce a group of people who will deal with the naming and re-naming of streets in Otjiwarongo,” she said.
Okakarara constituency councillor, Vetaruhe Kandorozu spoke to Nampa on behalf of the concerned group, saying streets are usually named after people who played a significant role in society for the development of communities.
“Von Trotha, however, was the man who issued an extermination order of all Hereros in Namibia because he wanted their land,” Kandorozu said.
Shilongo said community members will next year be required to submit proposals of the names of people they want streets to be named after.
NAMPA
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Von Trotha Street angers OvaHereroImage may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
A street named after former German military commander, Lothar von Trotha at Otjiwarongo has angered the OvaHerero community in the Otjozondjupa Region.Von Trotha was a German army commander during the 1904-1908 Herero-Nama Genocide that saw the execution of thousands of people from the Nama and Ovaherero tribes in Namibia.
On 2 October 1904, he commanded his heavily armed German forces to kill all OvaHerero by poisoning their main sources of water and by means of gunfire.
The street named after him in Otjiwarongo is situated in the affluent residential area of Extension 5.
Spokesperson of the Otjiwarongo Municipality, Adelheid Shilongo told Nampa the street stretches for approximately 800 metres and was recently upgraded to bitumen standard when the sign bearing the name was erected.
Shilongo said the street was named after Von Trotha long before Namibia gained independence and the municipality, at the moment, has no committee responsible for the naming and re-naming of streets at the town.
She said OvaHerero people have a valid concern.
“We take note of their concerns and as soon as we return in 2017 we will introduce a group of people who will deal with the naming and re-naming of streets in Otjiwarongo,” she said.
Okakarara constituency councillor, Vetaruhe Kandorozu spoke to Nampa on behalf of the concerned group, saying streets are usually named after people who played a significant role in society for the development of communities.
“Von Trotha, however, was the man who issued an extermination order of all Hereros in Namibia because he wanted their land,” Kandorozu said.
Shilongo said community members will next year be required to submit proposals of the names of people they want streets to be named after.
NAMPA
