Gaob Johannes Isaack
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Gaob Johannes Isaack is a prominent Namibian traditional leader and activist, currently serving as the Gaob (Chief) of the /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority and the Chairperson of the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA). Isaack is a leading figure in the campaign for reparations from Germany for the 1904–1908 Nama and Herero Genocide. He has openly critcised the 2021 Joint Declaration between Namibia and Germany, titled ""United in Remembrance of Our Colonial Past, United in Our Will to Reconcile, United in Our Vision of the Future"", arguing that the affected communities have been entirely excluded from direct participation in the negotiations between governments. In August 2021, he was appointed as a substantive litigant and Chairperson for the joint Ovaherero and Nama genocide reparation campaign and litigation in a class action lawsuit against the Federal Republic of Germany for its role in these atrocities. Isaack has also called for a ""decolonised knowledge production"" of Namibian history. He has been instrumental in advocating for the investigation of Shark Island, a former concentration camp, and he frequently speaks at the Nama Cultural Festival in Keetmanshoop, emphasizing the preservation of Nama traditions. He also advocates for the economic development of his region. He has recently urged the fast-tracking of the Neckartal Dam Irrigation Project to bring economic benefits to the Berseba area and the country at large.