President Hifikepunye Pohamba has told Germany that the Namibian government will allow it to take the Reiterdenkmal back to that country, as “the horse is a problem” for the Land of the Brave.
The Head of State was addressing a memorial service this past Friday at the Parliament Gardens, which welcomed back 35 skulls and skeletal remains of Namibians from Germany, when he veered from his speech to tackle “the horse”.
Pohamba said: “When government removed the horse, some were complaining. You go to Germany... they have removed the Berlin Wall, which separated Berlin. The horse is a problem too. The horse must go.”
“Government will allow the horse to go back to Germany.”
The memorial service was attended by former president Dr Sam Nujoma, Ambassador Egon Kochanke, who is Germany’s regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel in its Federal Foreign Office, as well as a host of chiefs and other dignitaries.
Pohamba’s remarks were welcomed with cheers and laughter from most of the dignitaries and traditional leaders.
A seemingly angry Pohamba questioned why people were defending the controversial horse, which he said before its removal had overlooked the site of a camp where Namibians had suffered.
“That is insensitive. We are going to replace the horse with something else.
“The horse must go. We can send it to Germany,” he added.
Historically, the Reiterdenkmal honours soldiers and civilians who died on the German side of the Herero and Nama War of 1904-1907.
The statue depicts a soldier riding a horse and raising a gun.
The Reiterdenkmal statue was inaugurated in 1912 by Theodor Seitz, the then governor of German South-West Africa, who the notice says reminded those at the event of the many sacrifices made by the colonial army.
At the time, Seitz explained that the principle behind the monument was to honour the dead and to encourage the living to propagate and build up what was achieved in a war fought for the fatherland.
Before the horse’s removal on Christmas Day last year, Pohamba had criticised the monument during a Heroes’ Day celebration, also last year.
At the time, Pohamba had said: “This monument is a symbol of victory on the side of the Germans. This monument means ‘we have defeated them’. The horse rider must be removed. If they want to take it back to Germany it is also fine, we will not have any objections.”
On Christmas evening last year, the horse was removed under heavy police guard and is currently standing in the courtyard of the Alte Feste Museum in Windhoek.
The Head of State was addressing a memorial service this past Friday at the Parliament Gardens, which welcomed back 35 skulls and skeletal remains of Namibians from Germany, when he veered from his speech to tackle “the horse”.
Pohamba said: “When government removed the horse, some were complaining. You go to Germany... they have removed the Berlin Wall, which separated Berlin. The horse is a problem too. The horse must go.”
“Government will allow the horse to go back to Germany.”
The memorial service was attended by former president Dr Sam Nujoma, Ambassador Egon Kochanke, who is Germany’s regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel in its Federal Foreign Office, as well as a host of chiefs and other dignitaries.
Pohamba’s remarks were welcomed with cheers and laughter from most of the dignitaries and traditional leaders.
A seemingly angry Pohamba questioned why people were defending the controversial horse, which he said before its removal had overlooked the site of a camp where Namibians had suffered.
“That is insensitive. We are going to replace the horse with something else.
“The horse must go. We can send it to Germany,” he added.
Historically, the Reiterdenkmal honours soldiers and civilians who died on the German side of the Herero and Nama War of 1904-1907.
The statue depicts a soldier riding a horse and raising a gun.
The Reiterdenkmal statue was inaugurated in 1912 by Theodor Seitz, the then governor of German South-West Africa, who the notice says reminded those at the event of the many sacrifices made by the colonial army.
At the time, Seitz explained that the principle behind the monument was to honour the dead and to encourage the living to propagate and build up what was achieved in a war fought for the fatherland.
Before the horse’s removal on Christmas Day last year, Pohamba had criticised the monument during a Heroes’ Day celebration, also last year.
At the time, Pohamba had said: “This monument is a symbol of victory on the side of the Germans. This monument means ‘we have defeated them’. The horse rider must be removed. If they want to take it back to Germany it is also fine, we will not have any objections.”
On Christmas evening last year, the horse was removed under heavy police guard and is currently standing in the courtyard of the Alte Feste Museum in Windhoek.
No comments:
Post a Comment