2nd Part of The Divide and Rule Strategies vs ovaHerero communities:

Let me make two points about the critics I met in the first part of this article. The Aminuis (Omongua) incident involved the president, which I mentioned. Ovaherero customs and cultural norms say: No one from other tribes should be led to the holy fire. This is a principle that no matter what happens should not be reversed it does not matter who is in the picture here. Henceforth, I think due atrocities of war and raped that the tribes undergone throughout the dark history, there was issues of children born out of this incident challenged the norms and principles of ovaHerero tribes.

Subsequently, in the search to accommodate these children into the tribes, modifications were made simple because the children carry the blood. Blood is the thicker than water, I think this phrase was derived from this incident. Therefore, that were the terms omukwatwa wanavi was born from too. Hence, this terms means someone who has ovaHerero blood, either through his/her paternal or maternal who was regarded as omukwatwa wanavi. This process was done with some rituals and ceremonies to welcomes this person into the family not a mere visit like the one happen at Aminuis (Omongua).  To reverse this incident, our beloved elder should go back to Okuruuo (Sacred hearth) to appeal to the ancestors to withdraw their displeasure.

Although it may, what is really happening with our society and what we should do to bring this division to an end that becomes our norms? This should be the question on every ovaHerero descendant’s minds. This is personal question that require personal response to it, but it require a collect approach to cease this illness that is hunting our society.

To give you some understanding on what really happening with ovanatje wondwa ndji. I want you to know that the challenges our society faces are deeply rooted in the atrocities we have suffered in the past. The Researcher found that the society that was the victim of the genocide experience the following; the loss of cultural practices, violence, death, robbery, relocation, memorialization, exile, economic decline, decline in productivity, social exclusion, and division amongst the communities.

Therefore, for the OvaHerero community to move forward, it needs to reexamine its past through the development of intercultural understanding (emotional level) and the development of cultural operation capabilities (cognitive level), both will be acquired through practicing their culture and experiencing it. What we need is social change and this change cannot be achieved through heroes (political leaders, and chieftaincy) but through community engagement from the grassroots level using ordinary people.

 The political external force has created the gap between us which exacerbated the internal enemy, the loss of cultural customs, in our society which has cost the society to loss the benefits of intergenerational learning. Looking back, you will see that intergenerational learning practices are used to fulfills age-appropriate developmental needs of youth and adults, are relational and reciprocal (drawing on the strengths or assets of each generation), and create a community in which learning results through collective engagement in authentic activities such as  death (Ondiro), ondjongo, outjina, ombimbi, ovyamberero, omikandi vyotukupo(weddings) nomasukarero (circumcision) but this is same activities which is a root cause of division.

This activities used to emphasize the shared values of mutual respect, tolerance, and inclusiveness. The purpose of these activities was for the youth learned employability skills and the value of service, developed self-esteem, and built their stock of social capital for future life and work. The elders was an opportunity to support the youth by ensuring that they share their cultural valued and norms to the next generation. Our societies will have to invent new ways of liberating itself. Dealing with these changes will require the contribution of all those involved: new forms of solidarity must be developed between the generations, based on mutual support and the transfer of skills and experience.

How to do we keep politics out of our cultural activities. I will address this in the 3^rd part of this article where I will discuss my thought on How the Modern politics of Namibia Divide the OvaHerero people.(Article written by:  Mr Alphons Kahuhu Koruhama(CEO of Possibility Thinkers)