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RESISTANCE ON THE BANKS OF THE KAVANGO RIVER Edited by: Marius Kudumo and Jeremy Silvester EMBASSY OF FINLAND WINDHOEK The publication of this manuscript was made possible with funding by the Embassy of Finland in Namibia EMBASSY OF FINLAND WINDHOEK Resistance on the Banks of the Kavango River Edited by: Dr Marius Kudumo & Dr Jeremy Silvester Museums Association of Namibia Publisher Museums Association of Namibia Physical: 112 Robert Mugabe Ave, Windhoek, Namibia Postal: P.O.Box 147 Windhoek, Namibia Tel: +264 61 30 22 30 Fax: +264 61 30 22 36 Email: [email protected] Web: www.museum.com.na Authors Dr Marius Kadumo Mr Karapo Herbert Kandjimi Mr Sebastian Kantema Mr Mandhavela Khasera Mr Shampapi Shiremo Dr Kletus Muhena Likuwa Mr Aaron Nambadi Dr Jeremy Silvester First Published: 2016 Design and Layout: Ndapewoshali Ndahafa Ashipala, Museums Association of Namibia Printed by: John Meinert Printers, Windhoek ISBN: 978-99916-902-3-0 © 2016 by Museums Association of Namibia All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, e.g. electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the Museums Association of Namibia. This publication contains the ideas and opinions of its authors. It is intended to provide helpful nd informative material on the subject matter covered. It is distributed with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consenquesnce, directly or indirectly, the use and applicationof the contents of this book. i Contents Acknowledgements i Preface iii Notes on Contributors v Acronyms viii Introduction 1 1. The 1903 Kavango Uprising against the German Imperial Government: A Forgotten l Episode in Namibia’s Anti-Colonial Resistance historiography – Shampapi Shiremo 9 2. The Contract Labour System during the South African Colonial Period in Kavango – Kletus Muhena Likuwa 29 3. The Contribution of the Student Movement to the Liberation Struggle: A Regional Perspective – Sebastian Kantema 52 4. The Role of Workers and Trade Unions in the Resistance to South African Rule in Kavango – Sebastian Kantema 72 5. The Role of Women During the Armed Struggle in Western Kavango – Aaron Nambadi 90 6. The Role of the Church during the Liberation Struggle in the Kavango – Aaron Nambadi 103 7. A Brief History of Forced Relocations from Sarusungu and Magarangandja in Rundu, 1971-1972 – Kletus Muhena Likuwa and Mandhavela Khasera. 126 8. Traditional Leaders and the Liberation Struggle in Kavango, 1970-1989 – Karapo Herbert Kandjimi 149 9. The Armed Struggle in Kavango, 1966-1989 – Karapo Herbert Kandjimi and Jeremy Silvester 169 10. Following the Election Trail in Kavango, 1973-1989 – Jeremy Silvester 210 Index 250 ii Acknowledgements In publishing this book, first and foremost, I am indebted to the Embassy of Finland for providing the funds that finally enabled our research on the history of anti-colonial resistance and the liberation struggle to reach a broader audience. I would also like to thank the Museums Association of Namibia (MAN) for facilitating the project that will not only result in a publication, but also an exhibition that will be mounted in Rundu. The original research was initiated by the Archive of Anti-colonial Resistance and the Liberation Struggle project which was supported by the GTZ, an agency of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Embassy of Finland. The original funding enabled us to conduct research and organise various workshops in Rundu. The original research was undertaken by competent historians in 2003. However, the support of the Embassy of Finland enabled us, over ten years later, to conduct additional research and to locate photographs that could be used in both the publication and the exhibition. Public discussion of our research took place at two important Conferences which took place at Rundu College of Education in 2005 and Kavango Regional Council Auditorium in 2007. The public dialogue reinforced our impression that there was a strong demand that the history of resistance in the Kavango Regions should be documented and made available. We believe that this publication will enable many more people to read and discuss our work. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the residents of the region who contributed both memories and materials to our diverse research. Without your support, we would not have been able to produce this book. Of course the views expressed in this publication are those of the authors iii Acknowledgements and not, necessarily, those of the people who were involved in the earlier stages of the research and the public forums. Finally, I would like to thank Dr Marius Kudumo and Dr Jeremy Silvester for their professional editing of the manuscript. iv Preface This book is a wide-ranging collection of scholarly research, historical narratives and evidence on the role played by the inhabitants of Kavango to liberate Namibia. It is derived from the papers and proceedings of the Archives of Anti-Colonial Resistance and Liberation Struggle (AACRLS) conferences held in Kavango which were authored by a variety of people. This book will help to promote and develop basic knowledge of Namibia’s history and encourage a wide-range discussion of the empirical range of existing sources and broader debate on the contribution of the inhabitants of the two Kavangos to the liberation of our motherland, Namibia. The verbatim discussion and debate is, of course, too lengthy to reproduce in this book. The assumption behind this book is that many scholars will be challenged to research more on this history of Namibia. There is still a lot to be done to research and document the history of our people and the various roles they played in their communities during the liberation of our country. In order to fulfil the aspirations of the project and the people who attended the conference, the committee decided to produce this book. The committee sought the assistance of two historians, Dr. Marius Kudumo and Dr. Jeremy Silvester, to edit the book and put it in a historical context. With their assistance, we are now able to publish this book. Contemporary students of history should find this book stimulating. They might use the book to identify questions that can lead to further research on Namibian history. Learners might use it as a reference book. It is a reality that little had previously been written on the contribution of the inhabitants of Kavango to the liberation struggle. This book is thus intended to put some facts on the table and reflects our concern that v Preface it is rare for the story of the inhabitants of Kavango to be put on paper and, rarer still for this work to be available to readers in the region. Thus by publishing this book, it is hoped, that students and lecturers will find a local publication that can be used for academic and supplementary purposes. The book includes the contribution of traditional leaders, church leaders, students, workers and women to the liberation struggle of Namibia, thus reflecting that we were active participants. The authors use some terminology derived from RuKavango and Afrikaans in order to portray the current social reality in Namibia. The contributions differ, not only in length but in scholarly rigour. Yet what combines them all is these authors’ common concern for the contribution of the inhabitants of Kavango to Namibia’s liberation and independence. Their endeavour is not simply of relevance to those whose interest is in finding out more about the contribution of the inhabitants of Kavango to Namibia’s liberation and independence as much as it is also a challenge to historians to re-explore the past through the eyes and political perspective of those who have been exploited, brutalised and traumatised by the colonial regimes in Namibia. Sebastian H. Kantema Chairperson AACRLS Kavango Committee vi Notes on Contributors Mr Sebastian Kantema was born in Muhopi in the Shambyu traditional authority. He matriculated at Rundu Secondary School. He previously worked as a teacher and then as the Chief Inspector of Education, Director of Education and Chief Regional Officer for the Kavango Regional Council and recently retired. He chaired the Kavango Committee of the AACRLS project. He has a BA in Pedagogic and Afrikaans Nederland from the University of Fort Hare, HED from Unisa, Med in Educational Leadership from the University of the Western Cape and an MBA from ESAMI. Email: [email protected] Mr Karapo Herbert Kandjimi was born in Tsumkwe and schooled at Rupara Combined School, Kanjimi Murangi Secondary and Rundu Secondary Schools. He is fluent in San, Rukuangali and English. He is the Principal of Mupini Combined School in Kavango West. Karapo has a BEd degree from UNAM (majoring in History) and an MA in Visual and Public History from the University of the Western Cape. Email: herbertkarapo@ gmail.com.na Mr Mandhavela Khasera lived in Kahenge in Kavango West and attended school at Nkurenkuru ELCIN High School. He graduated from UNAM with a BEd in History and English. He worked at the National Archives of Namibia with the Archives of Anti-colonial Resistance and the Liberation Struggle project. He was a passionate and dedicated historian who sadly passed away in 2004. He would have been one of the team of young Namibian historians who are re-writing our history. We are printing a paper based partly on his research in his honour. Dr Marius Kudumo grew up at Mekena in the Kavango and schooled at Nyangana Roman Catholic Mission School, Linus Shashipapo Secondary vii Notes on Contributors Notes School and Rundu Secondary School.

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