Best kept secret

Indeed, Namibia had much conflict even before the arrival of European colonialists. First inhabited by San Bushmen, Namibia later experienced immigration waves of Bantu people such as the Ovambo and the Herero, who enslaved and fought the native Khoisan people. Later came the Boer farmers from South Africa, who arrived with livestock and guns. They would eventually clash with many pastoral and nomadic groups. As the “Scramble for Africa” picked up in the 19^th century, Germany annexed the territory as German Southwest Africa.

Soon afterward, German troops were deployed to stem conflict between natives and the colonialist farmers. An uprising occurred by the Hottentots, though it was suppressed and a policy of “colonialism without bloodshed” was attempted in the late 1800’s. The colony was then attractive for further settlement, which was later spurned by the discovery of vast amounts of diamonds. Natives were used in forced labor to mine the diamonds, an action that would deteriorate relations further.

In the early 20^th century, about 150 German farmers who had expanded deeper into Africa had been killed, and the deaths were blamed of the softer approach to the natives. General Luther von Trotha was appointed governor, and historians suggest his policy towards natives would influence the Nazis in the Holocaust. After the German army crushed the rebellion, Trotha issued the native tribes with an ultimatum; leave the country or be killed. The natives were denied water and forced to flee into the western part of the Kalahari Desert, where half of the Nama and Herero population would die of thirst, in what is considered to be the first genocide of the 20^th century.

With the outbreak of World War I, South Africa, then still part of the British Commonwealth, fought and defeated the Germans in Southwest Africa. The League of Nations then mandated the territory for South Africa to govern. Following the Second World War, the United Nations pressed for South Africa to concede South-West Africa, though it was refused based on political reasons. Following the implementation of apartheid and a massacre that killed 11 black protesters, opposition groups formed military wings, and in 1966 the war for Namibian independence began.

With the Cold War far from thawed, the Marxist South-West African People’s Organization (SWAPO), launched terrorist attacks while based in Angola, which was also battling a war for independence. South Africa would fight the communist tide in Southwest Africa and Angola, even fighting the Cuban army in the largest-ever battle in Africa. South Africa wanted to succeed the territory, but as Mozambique, Rhodesia, and Angola fought communist uprisings, South Africa felt the continent needed to be more stable before independence could be granted. Though most of the war was fought in Angola, the conflict lasted 23 years and was one of the largest wars fought on the continent.

Still, it is important to note that the South African administration was focused on ensuring that Namibia would not become another war-torn African nation plagued by mines or destruction. Today, there are no signs that a prolonged conflict ended only two decades ago. The South African Police and South African Defense Force are credited with this peaceful turn of events, in rebuilding an infrastructure that today is one of the strongest in Africa.

Natural Resources

Namibia is very rich in natural resources such as diamonds, copper, uranium, and gas fields. In fact, early diamond prospectors crawled on their hands and knees in the moonlight to collect diamonds. Innovative mining equipment was eventually invented, and the diamonds came under the control of the German Diamond Company. The southwestern part of the country was labeled a “forbidden zone” and allowed only for diamond prospectors. However, with the end of World War I, the South African diamond behemoth De Beers was given ownership of the 10,400 square mile area. The area was later purchased by the government for a 50% stake, forming a joint partnership called the Namdeb Diamond Corporation. The area, known as the Sperrgebiet (German for “forbidden zone”), will be discussed further in the tourism section.¹

De Beers initially became a diamond cartel, and carefully managed the diamond industry in an efficient manner under South African rule. Following the fall of the apartheid regime, the company addressed legitimacy issues. According to Classen, De Beers is “implanting a comprehensive corporate social responsibility program that ranges from charitable projects in poor communities, the provision of educational scholarships, a commitment to high standards of health and safety management to major investments in the rehabilitation and ecological restoration of former mines and into bringing more activities of the diamond value chain to Namibia” (Claasen, De Beers in Namibia, Pg. 2).² Diamonds mined in 2013 provided US $235 million in revenue to the government.³

Also, Namibia is now the world’s number one exporter of uranium. Because of this, Namibia plans to open its first nuclear power plant in 2018. The mining industry has been a blessing that forms 25% of the economy and employs 14,000 citizens.

Namibia is one of only a few countries in the world that has adopted animal and environmental conservation in its constitution. As stated in Article 95, “The State shall actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting international policies aimed at the following: maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes, and biological diversity of Namibia, and utilization of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future.”⁴ Today, the World Wildlife Fund has awarded Namibia on more than one occasion for increasing wildlife populations of species such as antelope, zebra, buffalo, lion, and the world’s largest cheetah population.

Various government and non-government agencies such as the US Agency of International Development, the WWF, and the Canadian Ambassador’s Fund initially funded the Namibian model of conservation. The government formed legislation that empowered poor and rural communities through ownership of the animals and the conservancies. During the colonial era, all animals were the property of the government, thus eliminating any incentive for the people to protect and preserve the wildlife. Following independence and the new constitution, the Namibian people owned the rights to the animals and sought their preservation.

This gave the wildlife legal value, and it was in the people’s best interest to support the wildlife rather than replacing them with livestock that have lower profitability. This model literally turned poachers into game wardens, as private ownership is the best form of conservation. According to John Kasaona, the son of a poacher who now serves as the co-director of a development and conservation company, “What conservancy does, [is] it recognizes the local people as the gatekeeper to the area and their wildlife, it also gives those guys the rights to manage and benefit from the wildlife.”⁵

Namibia revolutionized wildlife conservation, and countries around the world are studying the Namibians model hoping to achieve the same success. Half of the country is currently under some form of conservation and about a third is a part of a national conservancy. In fact, the aforementioned Sperrgebiet is now part of the Namib-Naukluft national park that stretches across the desert coast to other national parks, forming one of the largest conservation area in the world. In the words of Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International, “Namibia’s achievements are impressive and inspiring. I congratulate President Pohamba, the Namibian government and support organizations, and all the dedicated local community members who have demonstrated the concept of people living in harmony with nature, WWF’s global mission.”⁶

The conservancies serve various purposes, such as villages that perform their cultural heritage for tourists, which employ many disadvantaged populations. Other types offer hunting or ecotourism safaris, which incentivize environmental protection. Studies show that these conservancies have low start-up and maintenance costs that resulted in greater profitability. The profits from these projects are pooled and are invested in the community, through the building of schools and clinics. Another study showed that wildlife farming was more favorable to local peoples as it created greater employment opportunities versus cattle rearing.

The value of the wildlife becomes significantly higher when there is opportunity for hunting safaris, which is a US$20 million industry in the country. Take for example, a black rhino hunting permit was sold for US$350,000, where the proceeds will be donated to conservation efforts.⁷ The rhino is past breeding age and actually a threat to younger males, all of which could be killed by poachers to be sold on the black market. Hunting allows for regulation and sound business activities, as well as long-term profitability.

Conservancy revenues in 2004 amounted to US$2.35 million, an exponential increase from US$100,000 ten years prior. Out of a total of 79 communal conservancies, 1 in 10 Namibians are participants.⁸ Namibia has the world’s largest sand dunes, some of the biggest wildlife populations, the world’s largest conservancy, and the world’s second largest canyon. These sites are all fantastic opportunities where the community can derive financial benefit through tourist accommodation, rather than through environmental exploitation.

The government is a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, where the president serves as the head of state and head of government. The constitution forms a multi-party system and establishes a bill of rights. The constitution limits the president to two five-year terms, subjects the government to checks and balances, as well as allowing a system for judicial review. It also states that the country must have a mixed economy, allowing for private ownership of property and influencing direct foreign investment. It is also one of the first constitutions in the world to incorporate environmental protection and conservation.

Though Namibia is a strong democracy, the SWAPO party has maintained power since independence, usually gaining about 75% of the votes. SWAPO is a Marxist-oriented movement, though they have embraced free enterprise and other right wing economic policies since the end of the Cold War. Namibia’s first president, Sam Nujoma, was an anti-apartheid activist who became politically active starting in the 50’s. He eventually became integral with the formation of SWAPO and petitioned the UN for independence. He would also serve as the Commander in Chief of SWAPO’s military wing during the liberation struggle.

Nujoma would develop a policy similar to Nelson Mandela’s ANC following the transition to majority a rule; a policy of national reconciliation between all groups of people. Decades of war, racial conflict, and colonialism had created high tensions and distrust not only between blacks and whites, but between major black tribes as well. A policy of national reconciliation harmonized relations, maintained a democratic system with strong human rights, supported economic development, and fostered one of the most peaceful nations in Africa. Nujoma was also quick to distance his party away from communism, saying that they had relations with the USSR not to establish communism, but to combat imperialism and to support Pan-Africanism.

Southern Africa has extreme levels of wealth inequality in the world, which is very true for racial inequality as well. The Gini coefficient puts the country at around .71, the highest rate in the world according to the CIA World Factbook.⁹ This is a remnant of colonialism, differences in educational background, and apartheid laws that created separate nation-states. Nujoma adopted a land reform policy that redistributed land from wealthy whites and gave them to willing black farmers. The new policy has redistributed about 25% of Namibia’s farms through “willing buyer, willing seller” principles, funded with private transactions or government-supported grant loans with very low interest-rates for the previously disadvantaged.

While about 1,000 farms have been redistributed through this policy, five farms have been taken by means of expropriation, a move which instilled the white community with fear and discouraged foreign investors. The farms are redistributed for agricultural reasons and to create more communal conservancies. While many new black farmers have obtained success, many farms are now unproductive or even derelict under black ownership. It is still too early to confirm whether or not the program has been a success.¹⁰

According to Bloomberg, Namibia ranks in the top emerging economies in the world for 2013, placing 13^th and ahead of South Africa, Brazil, and Hungary. The criteria was based on IMF forecasts, ease of doing business, corruption levels and economic freedom. Namibia truly is a rich African success story and can serve as an economic, social, and political model for the rest of Africa. This is true given a hard and bloody history combined with a diverse population, though it is one of the continent’s most peaceful.

Though most people are unfamiliar with Namibia, economic opportunities in the rest of Africa are increasingly putting Africa back on the map. The country is part of the South African Development Community (SADC), which has strong members who are critical to each other’s economy. Having suffered political, social, and economical stress, South Africa has a rebounding economy and many expatriates are returning, many who are now western educated and work experienced.¹¹ The same is true for Botswana, one of the most prominent African countries, that has long had one of the world’s highest economic growths.

The current political situation is stable and economic growth is continuing. New opportunities in mining have come due to explorations of the gas fields off the Atlantic coast. Tourism projections for the region continue to climb and wildlife populations are steadily increasing. On top of all this economic growth, the government has invested time and effort to lessening inequality and providing increased opportunities for the previously disadvantaged Africans.

Brown, Rowland. “The Gini and Namibia’s Three Wishes.” Inamibia.co.na. Umuntumedia, November 2011. Web. October 2012

"Communal Wildlife Conservancies in Namibia." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.

"Pride of Namibia." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.

"Namibian Government and People Lauded for Conservation Successes." WWF -. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.

"Homecoming Revolution – South Africa." Homecoming Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

"NAMIBIA: Land Reform Reproducing Poverty." IRINnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

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  Cyrlene Claasen,
  
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  Julia Roloff