Colonialismi e apartheid come forme di “genocidio”. I conflitti della memoria in Namibia

The essay analyzes the transnational memory politics concerning the control of memorialization by the South West Africa People’s Organization Party (SWAPO) in Namibia. This movement, which fought for liberation from the South African segregationist regime, as party government, strenuously defended the “permanent national reconciliation” to avoid a civil war that it feared having to answer for errors of conduct in its ranks. This position led to the refusal of involvement in the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission despite the wishes of a large part of the population. The strategy of SWAPO, based on a strong sense of loyalty to the party-state, is also reflected in school textbooks, avoiding reporting the unedifying pages of the SWAPO internees in the Lubango dungeons during the liberation struggle or the hundreds of useless deaths the armed wing of SWAPO (PLAN) suffered for the imprudent decision to enter the country in 1989 in an aggressive and unpacified way,  against the agreed disposals. Recently, controversy has increased, particularly after Namibia acceded to the South African initiative to refer Israel to the International Court of Justice. President Geingob’s condemnation of Germany for its support for Israel has reopened discussions on the issues of genocide and human rights, revealing tensions accumulated since independence and persistent ambiguities in SWAPO. These dynamics highlight the complexity of historical memory and political responsibilities in a post-colonial context, where official narratives conflict with the experiences and expectations of the population in a process of positive change.