Genocide Remembrance Day in Namibia on Wednesday follows years of pressure on Germany to pay reparations. Stern words accompanied Wednesday's symbolism, with President Nandi-Ndaitwah urging a swift end to ongoing negotiations with Germany over Namibia's demand for reparations. News of a national day of remembrance has been met with cynicism from some, with community activists saying restorative justice is still a long way off. Historians point out the irony of Germany hitherto refusing to pay reparations, because prior to the genocide, Germany itself extracted its own so-called reparations from Ovaherero and Nama people who had fought back against the colonisers. "The German government is yet to fully atone for the genocide it committed on Namibian soil," said then-President Hage Geingob.