The proposal for reimbursement for East German laborers
Thousands upon thousands of Mozambicans served as temporary workers in East Germany back in the day. Regrettably, many are yet to receive their due pay, as the East German government kept a portion of their earnings to cover Mozambique's debts. Now, Evelyn Zupke, the Victims' Commissioner from the German Parliament, is urging for reparations for these surviving victims.
In a statement made in Berlin, Zupke stated, "This is an injustice that stemmed from German soil. It was the East German regime that willfully deceived people, stripped them of their rights, and exploited them. We're dealing with individuals scarred for life by the East German dictatorship." Germany, Zupke suggested, must acknowledge this historical responsibility. The objective is to have the German Parliament recognize this injustice and fund a reparations scheme from the federal budget for the roughly 10,000 surviving victims.
"This would amount to a lump-sum payment," Zupke mentioned.
Individual wage claims become impractical after more than 3 decades. Zupke refrained from revealing a specific sum. Michael Windfuhr, a member of the German Institute for Human Rights, suggested an amount of 50 million Euros. The victims should receive between 4,000 and 6,000 Euros each, scaled according to the severity of the injustice suffered. Windfuhr contended, "It's the gesture that counts."
"Feel swindled by both nations"
East Germany enlisted workers from then-communist Mozambique and other socialist 'brother states' in the late 1970s to counter labor shortages within East Germany. They were promised training and wages. However, many were then assigned to arduous sectors such as open-pit mining or the meat industry. They only received a portion of the promised wages, as the East German government kept the remaining portion to settle Mozambique's debts to East Germany.
Many affected individuals also returned to Mozambique in 1990 empty-handed. "I still feel swindled by both nations," said former Mozambican contract worker David Mocou, who toiled in open-pit mining in Hoyerswerda from 1979 to 1991. In 1991, he faced racist attacks and subsequently left for Mozambique without wages. He also did not receive any pension payments, he claimed at the press conference.
Flat-rate payment failed to reach the beneficiaries
"We labored alongside our German colleagues in the open-pit mine for 12 hours a day," Mocou underscored. "Then, we discovered that our income was used to offset state debts without our knowledge." No aid came from the Mozambican government: "If we ask for help, they show up with a gun and act as they please," Mocou said. "We implore the German people for aids."
After reunification, in 1993, West Germany transferred approximately 75 million German Marks (around 38.4 million Euros) to the Mozambican state as a lump sum for the services of contract workers. However, most of this money did not reach the beneficiaries. "A large portion of it got lost in the swamp of a corrupt state," stated victims' advocate Zupke. "The majority of the affected individuals saw no benefit."
The Commission has urged for reparations from the German Parliament, recognizing the historical responsibility of Germany in the exploitation and underpayment of Mozambican workers during the East German regime. Many affected individuals, like David Mocou, still feel swindled by both nations, as they did not receive their due wages or pension payments.
