Various community members in the Omaheke Region have welcomed the Genocide Remembrance Day. 

They, however, urged that commemorations on the day reflect the activities, mood and spirit of what had transpired during the 1904-1908 war.

The descendants of Ovaherero communities in the Omaheke Region who perished in the genocide are of the opinion that the genocide remembrance day carries a vast, unforgettable history. 

Many are of the opinion that the effects of the war are still felt to date due to the gruesome killings and atrocities committed against the Ovaherero and Nama populations.

A resident of Corridor 19 in the Aminuis Constituency, Ndakoo Uandara, states that the genocide has left an indelible mark on the affected communities as their culture and traditional norms have been altered. 

Uandara added that the day should not only be about the Ovaherero and Nama people but also about the struggles of all Namibians.

"To commemorate this day is a good thing indeed, and it has various ways of remembering this day. Also, it will be good for the descendants to come together and to reconceptualise what happened during the war and move forward together, and it is very good that people should be together and get along on this day."

Seventy-six-year-old Murore Katjimune recounts experiences that her grandmother used to share with her.

"When people are talking about this day, I feel very emotional because I have kept this down deep in my heart because the person who told me about the war was very close to me and was very emotional and attached, meaning this is a sad and historical day to us indeed, and as you can see, the red attire I am wearing."

On her part, Kapukaa Uandara pointed out that most of them never got a chance to meet their grandparents as a result of displacement caused by the infamous war. She urged the younger generation to take part in the commemoration of the day and document the history for future generations.

The residents of the Omaheke Region are expected to converge on Ozombuzovindimba in the Otjinene constituency to mark the day. German army commander General Lothar von Trotha issued the infamous extermination order at Ozombuzovindimba on the 2nd of October 1904. The order mandated that all Ovaherero people, armed or unarmed, be executed.