Be sincere and honest about land

VETJAERA HAAKURIA AND RIPUREE HAAKURIA WRITE:There is an argument being advanced that the only the San and Khoisan have legitimate claims to land in Namibia. The basis for this argument is the misplaced belief that the two groups were first to settle in Namibia.The truth is that the whole argument is downright wrong: Ova Herero, San, Khoisan, Khoekhoe groups, Aawambo, Kavango etc. have always lived in Africa, which had no countries as there were no borders. They crisscrossed the continent throughout the centuries coming and returning in some cases (especially the pastoralists) for over 5 000 years.No one was first in any country as there was no country!Neither the San nor any of the other groups came to Namibia, they were all living in Africa roaming its surface for millennia. Since population sizes were low, no one group inhabited large tracks of land but where confined to particular localities. In the case of the San, being nomadic, they constantly moved around from one area to the next. So which land belonged to the San and in which time would that be?Present day Namibia was established in 1884 (Berlin Conference) when Germany created the borders that enclosed all the tribes already living in the area they started calling Deutsch Südwest Africa after partitioning it. A similar partitioning happened across most of Africa.The story of the Ova Herero, Aawambo or Kavango having come to Namibia is a nice story to tell over a camp fire with like-minded friends. It would not stand up to any rigorous scientific scrutiny or basic fact check as it is downright false. It is a contrived argument to justify the land dispossession and wholesale murder of locals arguing that the land was not theirs to start with but that of the San and Khoisan.The truth is Southwest Africa was created while the people were living here already in borderless Africa. The only people who came from somewhere else are the Europeans.In the interest of truth, it is hypocrisy to equate European-heritage Namibians with indigenous Namibians with regard to land claims. Africans have always lived in Africa. So the land in Africa naturally belongs to those found on it. Everyone else has either bought, inherited or grabbed from those found here.It is incumbent on us not to burden the next generation with problems we are deliberately creating today.A falsehood told many times over does not morph into a truth. Acknowledging facts provides a strong basis for finding a lasting solution to the land issue.We can craft a stable future for ourselves and our children on the basis of sincerity and honesty. It is possible.

Be sincere and honest about land

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Republikein 2026-03-20

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Be sincere and honest about land

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Republikein 2026-03-20

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