Exploring Namibia — Kicking Off My “African City of Culture” Series
Following on the heels of my recent article “African City of Culture: Project Delayed, Project Denied,” where I proposed on “the need to kickstart the celebration of African Cities of Culture,” I am embarking on an independent search of African cities worth celebrating.
In the above article, I implored universities across the region to play a part in this expedition:
“The management of African Universities and those responsible for curriculum development in the region, (to) embrace factoring this into the curriculum and encourage scholarship in this space.”
My personal exploration commences with the largely unreported South West African country, Namibia, which unlike many of its siblings, has a different colonial past.
Namibia only recently “celebrated” its 31st independence from South Africa, yes you heard right, on 21 March 2021. But according to a recent Quartz Africa report, that “celebration” was dimmed:
“Namibians are not in a festive mood (based on insights from) a 2019 survey by Afrobarometer, the independent African research network, (which) showed a significant loss of trust in the country’s governance.”
A country in southwest Africa, Namibia is distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast. The population of the country is about 2.495 million (according to 2019 World Bank figures). The Official language is English, and the official currencies are the Namibian dollar and the South African rand.
For the purpose of this article, however, I would focus on three cities based on their size, popularity and economic contribution to the country. Before then, however, here’s a brief on the political landscape.
A bit of Political History
The current President is Hage Geingob. Born in 1941, he was voted president in the November 2014 elections while serving as prime minister. He succeeded Hifikepunye Pohamba, who stepped down at the end of the two terms allowed by the constitution. The president, who shares executive power with the cabinet, is limited to two five-year terms. Dr Geingob chaired the constituent assembly which drafted the constitution, which came into effect with Namibian independence from South Africa in 1990.
Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila was appointed prime minister in 2015, having served as finance minister since 2003. A longtime member of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), she went into exile with the group to Sierra Leone at the age of 13.
On completion of her economics degree in the US, she returned to Namibia and worked briefly in the office of founding President Sam Nujoma, who quickly promoted her to head the National Planning Commission. She then served as minister of finance from 2003 until her promotion to the position of prime minister by President Geingob.
Namibia’s Cultural Mapping and the “City” Search Challenge
Namibia has spectacular natural attractions, such as the dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. It is also home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population. In the north, Etosha National Park’s salt pan draws game including rhinos and giraffes. Indeed, Info-Namibia has described the Namib Naukluft Park as “A park of contrasts and extremes.”
The most visited places include the capital city of Windhoek, Caprivi Strip, Fish River Canyon, Sossusvlei, the Skeleton Coast Park, Sesriem, Etosha Pan and the coastal towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz.
Windhoek is the capital of Namibia, in the country’s central highlands. South of the city, the sprawling Heroes’ Acre war memorial commemorates Namibia’s independence. On a hilltop in the city center are the 1890s Alte Feste — a former military headquarters with historical exhibits, and Independence Memorial Museum. According to the United Nations (2011), the population is about 325,858 — making it the largest city on the country.
Rundu is the capital of the “Kavango-East Region,” northern Namibia, on the border with Angola on the banks of the Kavango River about 1,000 metres above sea level. The population from the for the 2011 census it has climbed to 63,430 — a big jump from a decade prior (the 2001 census counted 36,964 inhabitants).
Walvis Bay is a port town on the coast of the country with a population of 62,096 inhabitants spread across a geographical area of 1,124 km². The town is sheltered by the Pelican Point sand spit, its tidal lagoon is home to “abundant birdlife” — including flamingos, pelicans and Damara terns.
Dolphins, whales and Cape fur seals inhabit the Atlantic waters around the Pelican Point Lighthouse. While the harbour is busy with fishing boats and ships, east of the bay, coastal sand dunes like “Dune 7” mark the start of the Namib Desert.
Lest I forget, the Pelican Point Lighthouse reminds me of Jamestown in the Ghanaian City of Accra.
That’s all from me for now as my exploration and canvassing of the “African City of Culture” continues… next stop? Maputo, the home of “Marrabenta”…see you soon.
