Should the Reiter be removed/'relocated'?

[juikk]

So Shebeeners, another one to diliberate on and maybe vote about....The Reiter!

Should it be moved? Should we do away with historic monuments that reminds of a past good/bad? Is it a good idea to temper with a country's history? be it monuments, rewriting of incidents, dates, 'facts'? what are really facts? can it be anything worth the paper it is written on? whose truth is more acceptable?

whose history is worth honouring? whose history is worth tarnishing? What are the future implications in Namibia, should we start tempering with symbols of our histroy? Can this one day happen to what is today acceptable and part and parcel of the status quo?

Let's chat already!!!

[Comrade_007]

No - the Reiter is such an unmistakable feature of the Windhoek skyline, and part and parcel of our history, whether we like it or not. Moving/removiong monuments of the past is not the way to go.

We need to honour the history of all the diverse groups in Namibia, be they ethnic, cultural, political. We have the Heros Acre, as well as a multitude of street names and building names to honour people from a particular political and ethnic background.

Building a successful, multi-cultural society in Namibia that is firmly roote din it spast, and optimistic about its collective future means respecting the different roles played by different groups in the history of our nation. The Reiter is no threat to anyone. We know what it symbolises, sure, and it can thus serve as a constant reminder of what we DO NOT WANT Namibia to be: A colony, where one group dominates others.

[Shebeen]

Some background info, Shebeeners: According to a Cabinet resolution made back in 2001 the Reiters is to be moved to make way for a new Independence museum.

[juikk]

Thanks for that info Shebeen. Anyway, shows that our Politicians really keep their focus on things that do not necessarily help alleviating poverty in Namibia. I wonder if for instance the San one day assume the same leading position of the 'liberation' Heroes, they will then do what starts today in Namibia and may become typically Namibian conduct and do away with 'heroes Acre'.....spending much needed resources on vehemently attempting to altering of Namibian history and forgeting to focus on creating a better wealth, health & education environment for the citizens. I wonder really......

[juikk]

The following was borrowed online for more background info on the Reiter: "The memorial outside the Alte Feste in Windhoek to the fallen Germans in the Herero and Hottentot rebellions. The statue is of a mounted Schutztruppe Reiter wearing the traditional Südwester hat."

More of some of Namibia's historic monuments for interest sake: German Colonial Uniforms

ps. pix I tried to include above don't wanna show, so you can refer to it here: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/4...098484.jpg?v=0

[juikk]

So makes you think: 'What's next?'
Namutoni
Christus Kirche
You name it..what do we do away with next because the current regime only want to see what THEY acknowledge as this countries history? did Namibia have no history before the entrance of the last edition of our society? What exactly is the message we as a country wish to portrait?

[juikk]

jUST WONDERING WHAT THE NAMIBIAN TOURISM BOARD IS DOING TO COUNTER THIS PLANNED GROSS VIOLATION OF NAMIBIAN HISTORY?

[pangkas]

The Reiter!

Should it be moved? Should we do away with historic monuments that reminds of a past good/bad?


What a question? It is like asking the following, shall we keep symbols of the Devil's Dissiples and the lives and times of the Inner Circle of the devil?

A reminder of a BRUTAL COWARDLY MURDERING OF A DEFENSELESS POPULATION can never be the "appeal for peace". This is a reminder of murdering helpless women and children. A Wehrmacht so well equipped, that could only stopped by the First World War Allies.

In Bagdad the statue of Saddam Hussein were removed when the Allied Forces marched into Bagdad. Namibia should have remove these statues of oppression after independence.

I say: AWAY WITH ALL COLONIAL STATUES, it's bad to reconcile a nation. It's a reminder of farms that were never bought with money, but taken with the barrel of weapons and cannons. 90% of white owned farms were confiscated with weapons and then sold cheap to a few handful whites, who in return re-sold it, to clean the stains of blood on it.

Stop the Mugabe style invitations of taking land back. I said earlier and I do not care, if you want to invite a war in Namibia, don't give land to the landless and keep the statues of oppression and oppress the hoi-poloi more and sit back, and watch the reaction. I love to view live shows on TV in Europe how people in Africa run for their lives.

Carry on with this stupid playing of games, more common faces appearing with live threadning and frightning faces on our TV's in Europe will be more then welcome for entertainment.

[phelakuti]

Vir ons wat Windhoek vir sy eie saak lief het, Der Reiter is n symbool van staat en amptelike doel. Anders, dit staan vir koloniale bewegings. The option are clear---whether Windhoek for its own sake will have the same feel and taste for the people of Windhoek, who had innocently enjoyed the sights, sound and aroma of the landscape and all its attributes, as opposed to the rather political underpinning that for the sake correctness rebukes the city's colonial legacy--- emotions, historic value and easthetic.