Namibia has once again come under attack in cyberspace, with a website claiming there are Nazi marches in Swakopmund and that Germans are still ruling the country.
The website article written by Andre Vltcheck, who claims to be an investigative journalist, said there are Nazi parades held at the seaside town.
Commenting on the alleged Nazi activities government spokesperson and Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Joel Kaapanda, said he was not aware of this happening in Swakopmund or elsewhere in the country.
However, he said there was a perception that Germans still controlled the Namibian economy, because they owned large tracts of land, as well as businesses.
The article, which has been posted on Vltcheck’s website, had already appeared on at least ten others by yesterday afternoon.
It was also publicised on Facebook and Twitter.
Vltcheck claims he is a novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist.
Describing Namibia as “Germany’s African holocaust”, he said that the German racial genocide in Namibia from 1904 to 1908 had a significant influence on the Nazis and what they did to the Jews during the Second World War.
He further writes: “Then you go to Swakop city, on the shore, and it is like seeing Germany recreated in Africa. You also see, there, shops with Nazi keepsakes. Some Nazis, who escaped Europe, came to Windhoek, to Swakop and other towns. In Swakop, men march periodically, in replicas of Nazi uniforms.”
Kaapanda said: “I am not aware of any such events taking place in Nazi style.”
However, he said it should be kept in mind that Swakopmund has a big German community and that is sometimes even referred to as “Little Germany”.
Painting a grim picture of Namibia, Vltcheck claims the country is one of the most racially segregated places in the world and that Germans are still ruling it, while the poor people suffer.
“What we can see in Namibia is that many German people are still in control of big business. They are ruling the country. They have hunting farms and other huge estates and enterprises.”
Germans bring money to Namibia, but it stays with them, and it consolidates their power – it does not reach the majority. You cannot even imagine, how much local people working on their farms, are suffering. It is still like slavery. But it is all hushed up here.”
Kaapanda said there may be some element of truth in this statement about German people owning the economy in Namibia and having large businesses and farms.
According to Kaapanda, most of the land in Namibia is owned by white people and many of them are German or of German decent.
He said this also poses a problem for government, as they cannot buy land for redistribution and land reform.
Vltcheck also claims to have had a conversation with a taxi driver in Namibia about whether Swapo is truly ruling Namibia and the German control. He proceeds to claim to therefore understand why Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is so mad and angry.
According to Vltcheck, there is segregation on an enormous scale, everywhere in Namibia.
He said while South Africa is moving rapidly away from racial segregation, introducing countless social policies, including free medical care, education and social housing, Namibia remains one of the most segregated countries on earth, with great private services for the rich, and almost nothing for the poor majority.
Kaapanda said these types of articles can do serious damage to the image of the country, with the perceptions they are trying to create.
“It is negative and very bad and should not be allowed.”
He stressed that government provides services to everybody, irrespective of who they are, and not only to a certain group of people in Namibia.
“We do not categorise services or discriminate against anybody.”
The article further describes Namibia as a racist country, where black and coloured people apparently would not dare to enter some local bars.
Kaapanda said racism is a state of mind.
“We have abolished apartheid and the government has established national reconciliation in Namibia. It (racism) is still found here, but we do not have segregated services or places only available to certain groups.”
The website article written by Andre Vltcheck, who claims to be an investigative journalist, said there are Nazi parades held at the seaside town.
Commenting on the alleged Nazi activities government spokesperson and Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Joel Kaapanda, said he was not aware of this happening in Swakopmund or elsewhere in the country.
However, he said there was a perception that Germans still controlled the Namibian economy, because they owned large tracts of land, as well as businesses.
The article, which has been posted on Vltcheck’s website, had already appeared on at least ten others by yesterday afternoon.
It was also publicised on Facebook and Twitter.
Vltcheck claims he is a novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist.
Describing Namibia as “Germany’s African holocaust”, he said that the German racial genocide in Namibia from 1904 to 1908 had a significant influence on the Nazis and what they did to the Jews during the Second World War.
He further writes: “Then you go to Swakop city, on the shore, and it is like seeing Germany recreated in Africa. You also see, there, shops with Nazi keepsakes. Some Nazis, who escaped Europe, came to Windhoek, to Swakop and other towns. In Swakop, men march periodically, in replicas of Nazi uniforms.”
Kaapanda said: “I am not aware of any such events taking place in Nazi style.”
However, he said it should be kept in mind that Swakopmund has a big German community and that is sometimes even referred to as “Little Germany”.
Painting a grim picture of Namibia, Vltcheck claims the country is one of the most racially segregated places in the world and that Germans are still ruling it, while the poor people suffer.
“What we can see in Namibia is that many German people are still in control of big business. They are ruling the country. They have hunting farms and other huge estates and enterprises.”
Germans bring money to Namibia, but it stays with them, and it consolidates their power – it does not reach the majority. You cannot even imagine, how much local people working on their farms, are suffering. It is still like slavery. But it is all hushed up here.”
Kaapanda said there may be some element of truth in this statement about German people owning the economy in Namibia and having large businesses and farms.
According to Kaapanda, most of the land in Namibia is owned by white people and many of them are German or of German decent.
He said this also poses a problem for government, as they cannot buy land for redistribution and land reform.
Vltcheck also claims to have had a conversation with a taxi driver in Namibia about whether Swapo is truly ruling Namibia and the German control. He proceeds to claim to therefore understand why Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is so mad and angry.
According to Vltcheck, there is segregation on an enormous scale, everywhere in Namibia.
He said while South Africa is moving rapidly away from racial segregation, introducing countless social policies, including free medical care, education and social housing, Namibia remains one of the most segregated countries on earth, with great private services for the rich, and almost nothing for the poor majority.
Kaapanda said these types of articles can do serious damage to the image of the country, with the perceptions they are trying to create.
“It is negative and very bad and should not be allowed.”
He stressed that government provides services to everybody, irrespective of who they are, and not only to a certain group of people in Namibia.
“We do not categorise services or discriminate against anybody.”
The article further describes Namibia as a racist country, where black and coloured people apparently would not dare to enter some local bars.
Kaapanda said racism is a state of mind.
“We have abolished apartheid and the government has established national reconciliation in Namibia. It (racism) is still found here, but we do not have segregated services or places only available to certain groups.”
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