KEETMANSHOOP—Daniėl Timotheus Frederick, one of the descendants of Gaob Jakobus Frederick, said his great-grandfather’s name deserves to be included in a book of Namibian heroes. He reasoned as such when, during an exclusive interview with New Era, alluding to the role his ancestors played in forming and shaping the !Aman traditional authority, situated mostly in... The post Frederick’s leadership shapes !Aman appeared first on New Era .
KEETMANSHOOP—Daniėl Timotheus Frederick, one of the descendants of Gaob Jakobus Frederick, said his great-grandfather’s name deserves to be included in a book of Namibian heroes.
He reasoned as such when, during an exclusive interview with New Era, alluding to the role his ancestors played in forming and shaping the !Aman traditional authority, situated mostly in the Bethanie district.
Taking one back to memory lane, Daniėl said they are originating from the Western Cape and that it was his ancestor’s bold decision that saved the clan from extension. “Those days it was the outbreak of the smallpox pandemic and my grandfather then took his clan and relocated to the areas in the Bethanie district (Fish River) up to the Neckartal dam, where they are situated today.”
His successor to the Chieftainship, Christiaan Frederick, was a highly disciplined businessman and historian, according to Daniėl. “He was also the man who wrote the !Aman constitution in 1947, clearly spelling out the succession of leadership policy and our customary law,’’ the descendant explained to this publication.
Daniėl stated that another leader of the clan, Cornelius Frederick, was the one who started the guerrilla style of war against the German oppression. “Our history indicated that he only lost seven of his soldiers during these fights whilst he always buried those enemy soldiers killed in the war and nursed/gave medical attention to the wounded German soldiers, making sure they return home safely as most of them were still very young (18-25 years), hence the German government honoured his grandfather by renaming streets in Hamburg and Berlin in his name as recognition for his humanity,’’ he explained.
His narration continued that Cornelius was then beheaded on Shark Island on 16 February 1907 during the Nama and Ovaherero genocide, as was orchestrated by the Germans. “Subsequently, the management of the Lüderitz Waterfront Development Company recently approached our leadership for permission to name one of the building’s conference halls in his honour,” he added.
He also said, although not all these events were recorded, the oral narrations carried over and thereby transferring facts from one generation to another is a clear indication of its authenticity. He explained that many of their relatives still live today in places like Sanddrift and Pella in the Northern Cape (SA) as descendants of the genocide arena.
-sklukowskie@nepc.com.na
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