African Civilization

The Social, Political, and Economic ______Destruction of Namibia_______

An unfortunate tone of life in the western industrial ized countries is that knowledge of the histories of the peo ples of the ontogenesis parts of the world is all but non existent, unless such history, in some relevant way, may be tied to the economic or political development of one of the industrialized countries (Mazrui, 1986). such(prenominal) is the case of Namibia. Most of the available western literature with evaluate to Namibia concerns the activities of Germany and the due south African nations in the country. Little, unfortunately, has been written about the people of Namibia to begin with the establishment of the German protectorate in 1884. A complex indigenous society existed in Namibia, however, long before the advent of the Germans (Mazrui, 1986).

That which is called the extended family in the western countries was, in fact, the family per se in precolonial Namibia. The traditional Namibian family consisted of mother,

father, children, grandparents, uncles, aunts, andcousins. Further, polygamy was recognized in precolonial Namibia. Therefore, even the concept of the extended family was dwarfed by the usual traditional family in precolonial Namibia.

The development of family social organization in precolonial Namibia was infl

That which the Germans began the uninfected South Africans pursued relentlessly in Namibia. Where the Germans depressd Namibians to the status of tenant farmers in their own coun try, the white South Africans attempted to reduce them to the status of nonpersons. Where the Germans attempted to alter the traditional Namibian family structure, the white South Africans attempted to completely destroy the Namibian family.

The family structure in precolonial Namibia centered around the means by which the family maintained itself. Within most tribal groups, the means of subsistence were a combination of animal husbandry and agriculture. Only in an insignificant number of instances were the means of subsistence related to urbanized economic activities.

The arrogant significance of the

5to the development and the maintenance of social stability in a country.

Sorrenson, M. P. K. (1967). Land reform in Black Africa. Lon turn in: Oxford University Press. 14

5. During the colonial period, economic and social development occurred only in so far as it was beneficial to the white settlers in Namibia or to the German government in Berlin.

All of the tribal groups recognized patriarchal authority. Thus, patriarchal authority was a feature article of the family structure in precolonial Namibia. Each of the major tribal groups, however, interpreted patriarchal authority somewhat differently (July, 1986). As an example, the death of a father (head of family) might have caused the proceedup of an extended family into nuclear families in the !Kung tribe, while the firstborn son might assume the head of family role in the Nama tribe, and an uncle might assume an extended leadership role in the Damara tribe (July, 1986).

July, R. W. (1986). A history of the African people. (5th ed.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

4. Perceptions of warrantor and loyalty were superseded during the colonial period in Namibia by feelings of timidity and disassociation.

Prior to th
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