In January 1904 the 'Onjembo', the Herero-German war, broke out. During the course of seven months the Herero were driven back from their ancestral homes and lands and forced to retreat into the... Show moreIn January 1904 the 'Onjembo', the Herero-German war, broke out. During the course of seven months the Herero were driven back from their ancestral homes and lands and forced to retreat into the northeastern reaches of the then German colony of South West Africa, the present-day Republic of Namibia. Following their defeat at Hamakari in August 1904, the surviving Herero were driven northeastward into the Omaheke region of the Kalahari desert basin. Prior to the battle of Hamakari German commanders had already received requests from settlers for the allocation, for labour purposes, of a number of the prisoners of war which they were expected to make. The German 'Reichskanzler' recommended that missionaries be asked to encourage the Herero to surrender and that those Herero who surrendered were "to be placed in concentration camps in various parts of the country where, under guard, they could then be used for labour". The prisoners were used by both military and civilian enterprises for a wide range of activities. In 1908 the camps were abolished and henceforth the former prisoners of war were subjected to stringent labour and pass laws. Show less
South Africa's policy of destabilisation of neighbouring countries was closely associated with the rise of South Africa as a leading middleman in the international ivory trade. South African-based... Show moreSouth Africa's policy of destabilisation of neighbouring countries was closely associated with the rise of South Africa as a leading middleman in the international ivory trade. South African-based traders, acting in partnership or with protection from officers of the South African Military Intelligence Directorate, imported raw ivory from Angola, Mozambique and points further north and re-exported it to markets in the Far East. This was a source of income both for the South African secret services and for individuals associated with them. The same trade routes were also used for trade in other goods, including rhino horn, drugs, gems, currency and weapons. This was not only as a means of earning money but also a technique of destabilisation in itself. The extent of South Africa's involvement in this trade, although suspected by some conservationists, was difficult to prove and did not form the target of any concerted campaign by the leading conservation groups world-wide. In this respect, the strength of the South Africa lobby in the World-Wide Fund for Nature seems to have played a significant role. Since the ending of South Africa's military presence in Namibia and Angola in 1989, the Military Intelligence officers, Special Forces officers and others who conducted the wars for the defence of white South Africa have been intent on the struggle inside South Africa itself. There is evidence that such counter-insurgency specialists are now using Mozambique in particular as a base for operations inside South Africa. Moreover, they continue to have an interest in the ivory and rhino horn trades. Former officers of specialist counter-insurgency units have also found employment as game wardens in national parks. The bold proposals currently being implemented to create large new game parks along the South African-Mozambican border, using modern management techniques and involving local communities in their management, have important implications for politics and national security. Show less
On the 12th of January 1904 a full-scale war broke out in what was then German South West Africa (present-day Namibia) between the Herero-speaking people of Namibia and imperial Germany. The war... Show moreOn the 12th of January 1904 a full-scale war broke out in what was then German South West Africa (present-day Namibia) between the Herero-speaking people of Namibia and imperial Germany. The war culminated in the issuing of the 'Vernichtungsbefehl', or extermination order, by the supreme commander of the German troops in German South West Africa, General Lothar von Trotha, in October 1904. The order stated that all Herero men in German territory were to be shot or expelled. Recently, a number of authors have sought to deny the existence, or at least downplay the implications, of the 'Vernichtungsbefehl'. However, research conducted in the Botswana National Archives, where the authentic text of the order is held, as well as in other places, has brought to light evidence which conclusively proves the existence of the 'Vernichtungsbefehl' and a conscious commitment on the part of the German colonial authorities to ensure the implementation of the order. The paper presents a copy of the original document by Trotha, written in Otjiherero, as well as a literal transcription and an English translation. App., bibliogr., notes Show less
