Discover the Untamed Beauty of Namibia

Introduction

In my previous posts, I explored the colonial history of Namibia and discussed its crime rate. Today, however, I turn my focus to the beauty of this land of the brave. With its vast landscapes and diverse wildlife, Namibia offers an unparalleled experience for those seeking both adventure and  profound memories. From the rolling sand dunes of the Namib Desert to the rich cultures of its people, Namibia is a country that leaves an unfading mark on the hearts of its visitors.

The Majestic Landscapes

Namibia's landscapes are nothing short of breathtaking. The Namib Desert is the oldest desert in the world, stretches along the Atlantic coast with its towering sand dunes that shift colours with the sun's position. Sossusvlei, a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, is a must-visit for photographers and nature enthusiasts alike.

The Fish River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world, offers stunning vistas and challenging hikes for adventurers. The Skeleton Coast, known for its shipwrecks and desolate beauty, tells a story of mystery and intrigue.

Rich Culture and Heritage

Namibia is not only about its natural wonders; it's also home to a rich cultural heritage. The Himba people, with their unique customs and traditional lifestyle, offer a glimpse into a world untouched by modernity. The vibrant city of Windhoek blends modernity with tradition, where you can explore local markets, museums, and taste authentic Namibian cuisine.

Wildlife Wonders

Namibia's wildlife is a major draw for visitors. Etosha National Park, one of Africa's greatest wildlife reserves, is home to elephants, lions, rhinos, and a myriad of other species. The park's vast salt pan becomes a shimmering lake during the rainy season, attracting flamingos and other birdlife.

Namibia is a land of contrasts, where the silence of the desert meets the vibrancy of its people, and where ancient landscapes tell stories of time. Whether you seek adventure, culture, or simply a place to disconnect, Namibia offers it all. Plan your journey to this incredible country and let its untamed beauty captivate your soul.

Crime in Namibia

 Despite Namibia earning its tittle as one of the countries in Africa with low crime rate does not make it a crime free country. I guess it has something to do with the population of the country, with it being under populated it would obviously pop up on the list with law crime rate.

Gender base violence 

Gender base violence has been increasing at an alarming speed in Namibia to a point that a blind eye couldn't be placed on the matter anymore. For over years many women, men and children were abused in silence and they were too afraid to come out and report the matter to the authorities as a majority of Namibians believed and associated the matter with that of a taboo.

Passion killing is one of the most common type of gender base violence in Namibia as a number of men murders their partners in fear that they may be left for someone else or in mere jealousy in most cases the man ends up taking his life after killing his partner.  

Human trafficking development sometime comes with a lot of negative impact, the more Namibia is developing the wider the gap between the rich and poor is becoming, and in most cases everyone  wants to be in the upper class category, well we can say that not everyone worked or are willing to work hard to get there and end up using inhuman methods to become wealthy, like kidnaping children in exchange of cash, or sexually exploiting young girls and boys in the sex industries to make more money off them. 

In 2019 Namibia recorded a lot of missing cases with bodies of the victims mostly found with missing parts like the heart, tongue, livers, lungs, skin etc. This is because the prices for human organs on the black market is high in demand and in pays exclusively well, I guess this might explain why we made a lot of overnight millionaires during the same period of time, I mean who knows? 

From the crimes above there are also other crimes happening in Namibia like theft, sexual assault, discriminating, political corruption, we can go on and on but what's most important is that the Namibian people are not just crossing their legs watching their rights being violated. The country is working hard towards to improving it's safety and crime department and I must say I'm impressed by how much the the Namibian people have achieved in such a short period of time toward eradiating crime in the country. 

Let's get up close with the people and cultures in Namibia

Namibia also known as the land of the brave has about 2million inhabitants, and it's densely populated but one can't oversee the fact that this partially populated country is one of the most beautiful countries in Southern Africa, I mean we can all agree on the fact that Africa is a mother of very beautiful diverse countries and Namibia is no exception.

If we take a good look at the traditional attires of some Namibian tribes will notice that they have a physique, modern colorful touch to them, well this has something to do with the the German colonization that happened in Namibia about 60years ago. It left it's lasting imprint on the local people.

The Owambo tribe 

This is the largest tribe in Namibia situated in the northern regions, it represents over a third of the total population in the country.

The Owambo people are known for being productive and resourceful individuals. they are active in various areas of the economy, such as agriculture and fishing, when waters from Angola flood their low lying lands they fish for food and leave behind their grazing lands and plant their crops on the higher grounds which are not affected by floods.

Work is mostly divided into genders where as the females mostly do house choir work and men doing the extensive hard labor choir around their communities.

The San people

The San, Namibia's first inhabitants, are one of if not the most interesting of the nation's tribal groups. Originally from central Africa, the san have always preserved their 'Hunter-Gatherer' lifestyle. As a matter of fact, they are the only population in Namibia that was hardly influenced by modern advancements. 

A typical San male's day starts at sunrise; he washes his face with warm water prepared by his wife, whose cleavage is concealed with a long sheet of animal skin and a rope around her waist to support the large patches of the similar flesh that cover her front and back. The wife proceeds to serve the man some food which had been left over from the previous day and then retreats back to the children in the hut as the man sets out to hunt with only a single slat of skin covering his front - How exciting!

 

The Herero 

If there was a beauty pageant to be held on which tribe has the most fashionable tradition attires, the Herero's would have definitely taken the win home, with their colorfully bright ankle length dresses, which they had adopted from the the Europeans during the Victorian period. This style is now regarded as their cultural attire with the addition of head cloth which points both sides which is the symbol of cattle horns. 

They were known as historical nomadic herders, which explains the reason why today cattle heading forms and important aspect of their culture. They are also known for forming rebellions against the colonialist in 1904.

Namibia has a lot of beautiful cultures and many more heritages to explore and discover, so, next time you are wonder where to go for your next vacation make a stop and I promise you won't regret visiting as you will go back with everlasting enchanted memories. 

Reference

https://www.rhinoafrica.com/en/destinations/namibia/facts-and-information/culture/77461

Lets go back in time

Her colonizer

Namibia was once colonized by Germany dating back in 1884, it was also known as South West Africa. A time of doom it was for this country as many were terrorist, killed and exploited, lets not forget the hundreds of families that were torn apart and never got a chance to reunited again. 

After world war I, The league of nation handed Namibia to South Africa to administer it. After the dissolvement of the league of nations in 1946, it's successor The United Nations made a decision to reform the administration of the former organization, which was to help establish and prepare Namibia for it's independence. 

 

One might say that yay Namibia was finally going to be freed from her captures, but only to find out that matters became worst as South Africa did not do as it was instructed to, instead it exploited the Namibian people and their natural resource further to enrich themselves this was done by the white South Africans.

Before the foreign man came to rule in the land of Namibia, people lived as hunter gatherers, and agriculturists, they would go about the forests and hunt as many animals they needed to. Clothing was made from animal skin and from plants and tree branches. They believed in ancestorial powers and had their own gods they worshiped and pleased, one would say that they led a very simple complexed life with little knowledge that the world around them was revolving or changing. 

Exploiting her beauty 

The main course that attracted the Germans to Namibia was the fact that it is rich in resources from diamonds, silver, gold, rich fertile land to it's beautiful animals. with European countries exhausting their resource due to sudden developments that was happening at a time they had to come to Africa to exploit her resources in which she was rich in and Namibia is no exception.

It was easy for the Germans to come and colonize Namibia, they used religion to soften the resistance of the people and brought unknown goods with them that amazed the locals, which led to unfair trades like a pack of sugar for land, cattle and so on. 

To add on South Africa inflected laws in Namibia, laws like the apartheid laws this laws prevented black Namibian to have any political rights, economical and social right were also taken away from them, it's intention was to rule over Namibia and have total control over it's resources.

Her regime 

Yeah Namibia suffered in the hands of the colonizers from Germans to the South Africa troops, like any tunnel there is a light at the end and Namibia officially got its independence in 1990 0n the 21st March. All this was made possible by the brave men and women who fought and stood their ground for the freedom of their country, today in Namibia we commemorate those brave men and woman by celebrating hero's day on 26 August .

Reference 

Image from 'Remember Cassinga?’ An Exhibition of Photographs and Histories Assembled by Christian A. Williams, Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape