My cross-cultural journey: Dark Memories of Windhoek and Swakopmund....

Earlier this year i wrote my dissertation on a group whom had caught my eye watching the documentary series "Tropics of Capricorn"...I know, i know, i got my idea from tv- lets just say it was my food for thought! The Herero of Namibia (Former German South West Africa) were descibed as victims trapped in their horrific past, haunted by the memories of genocide inflicted on them during German colonisation. Many apparentley still walking around donning the clothing of their oppressors over 100 years on from the genocide- men in German military uniforms and women in European Victorian style long dress.It has even been described as a practise run for the holocaust. This id imagine would put a curious look on anyones face, as it did mine, and was definatley something i wanted to research and analyse further...

German colonial administration in south west Africa created a rupture in the moral fabric of Herero society. The affects of the genocide broke down their kinship, economic and political systems and forced many to flee across the border into Angola and Botswana which was to create the wide diasporas that still exist today. I am curious as to whether those Herero who fled may have crossed though Rundu, where we will be located, as it is situated next to one of the most important routes which connects Namibia to Angola and many other African countries.

When the Germans acquired former south west Africa over the British empire they employed colonial methods to divide and rule together with an utter disregard of native custom and tradition, and insistence on the doctrine of the absolute supremacy of any white man over any black. South west Africa was a good source for land, but the Germans were in a very paradoxical situation where they had to come in as colonisers and rent or buy land from people they were meant to be colonising. The Hereros chief at the time, Chief Maherero, did all he could to ensure no land was sold to the Germans however there were some who made sales to European settlers. Europeans confiscated cattle that strayed onto their territory, while holy cattle would be redeemed by a repayment of 4 or 5 ordinary cattle which were used for stocking the settlers farms. The German traders were creating debt bondage between themselves and the Herero and then used the 1903 credit ordinance to demand repayment and forcibly steal cattle.

Increased resentment led to chief Samual Maherero leading the Herero rebellion which was responded to by German General Von Trothas extermination order for all Herero to be driven into the Kalahari desert and shot or left to starve. Thousands were put into concentration camps in Windhoek (the capital where we shall fly into) and Swakomund on the coast, forced to work on building projects and unload ships, subjected to cold temperatures, beatings, exhaustion, rape and little food. Some were put in another camp on shark island to eliminate them from the landscape entirely.It was here that many mixed children whom were born from the rapes were medically experimented on. Herero society was completely destroyed by 1905: they’d been left propertyless, landless and leaderless, and legislation was passed to ensure the eternity of this condition.

The 1904 genocide is a strong marker on the Herero identity of today.Even now, the act of genocide has been denied by the Germans, yet memories remain persistent of the crimes committed on the Herero during 1904-8 and remembrance marches continue each year despite the Germans lack of acknowledgement. There is a whole array of consecutive commemorations referring to the various stages of the Herero- German war during 1904.However, there are two statues that exist in Namibia, both of which stand to commemorate the fallen German soldiers during African resistance. Public memory in Namibia tends to commend the independence of Namibia rather than draw any attention to the period of German colonisation, this is because there is an inequality between those with the means of broadcasting certain memories and making them public and those without.

In 2004 the German ambassador finally gave a formal long sought after apology for the period of colonisation. It bought together Herero not only from Namibia, but also from the diasporas in Botswana and south Africa. This meant the forging of ties with the people who had fled Namibia in 1904 and after, and who claimed to experience their collective Herero identity for the first times in their lives at this point. The Herero are now employing legal discourses designed by the west to pursue claims for reparations.

As for the clothing..yes its true, supposidley Herero women do wear the amazing floor lengh long dress made from 12 meters of fabric. The long dress remained popular among herero women, but in Botswana, they employ it to differentiate themselves from Tswana women, to assert own identity making the dress take on new meanings.Its become a marker of womanhood representing knowledge and strengh. I know i for sure would love to come across the Herero on our travels, i can only hope!