Namibian Vice President Nangolo Mbumba (L) and Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Katrina Hanse-Himarwa (C) welcome the arrival of personal items that belonged to the late national hero Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi in Windhoek, Namibia, on Feb. 26, 2019. The Namibian government on Tuesday received the Bible and a whip that belonged to late national hero Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi who fought for the country's independence. (Xinhua/Johanna Absalom)
WINDHOEK, Feb, 26 (Xinhua) -- The Namibian government on Tuesday received the Bible and a whip that belonged to late national hero Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi who fought for the country's independence.
The two items that had been kept at Linden Museum in Stuttgart, Germany arrived early Tuesday morning in the southwestern African country, which was a German colony between 1884 and World War I.
Hendrik Witbooi, who was born in 1830 and died in 1905, is regarded as one of the national heroes of Namibia. He is portrayed on the obverse of Namibian dollar banknotes.
Namibian Vice President Nangolo Mbumba said that the arrival of Witbooi's Bible and whip symbolizes efforts for reconciliation and return of cultural objects to Africa, Latin America and Asia.
"The return of the Bible and whip is an evidence of strengthened bilateral relations between Namibia and Germany, and heralds an era of forgiveness and strive for peace; ensured with the goodwill and cooperation of the two governments," Mbumba said.
Theresia Bauer, minister of science,research and the arts of Germany's southwest state ofBaden Wuerttemberg, led the German delegation to Namibia.
She said the commemoration and return of the items are long overdue. "This important artifacts from Namibian history and the Witbooi family are being returned after a century, which we are deeply sorry for."
She will hand over the Bible and whip to Namibian President Hage Geingob at a national event on Thursday in Gibeon, the birthplace of Witbooi.
