In order to achieve a meaningful and lasting reconciliation related to the German genocide in Namibia, representatives of the affected groups, the Ovaherero and the Nama, must be included in the negotiation process. In the struggles around collective memory in Namibia, these affected groups do not feel represented by the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), the governing party in Namibia. For 35 years the Swapo party has tried to establish a unifying narrative to unite all Namibians, focussing on the events surrounding the country’s liberation from apartheid, but it omits the memory of genocide. Hence, the collective memory in Namibia is fragmented, which influences the country’s people and the outcome of political negotiations.
