Kavango and Caprivi – Sources of Inter-Regional Tension
By: JACKSON MWALUNDANGETHE increased tension between the Kavango and Caprivi regions has its roots in the retention of the names of the two regions. The solution is, thus, not outside the two names. Kavango and Caprivi are the only regions in Namibia that retained their pre-independence tribal names after independence. In the minds of the local people of both regions, Kavango is a land for ‘Kavango’ people and Caprivi for Caprivians, and any tract of land apportioned to the other region should be a tribal insult and unacceptable.
Initially, to avoid tribal regions, the Delimitation Commission of Namibia (DCM) had included part of eastern (tribal) Kavango in the Caprivi Region. This was later withdrawn following a complaint from the Mbukushu tribesmen and women. For the same reason, part of tribal Kavango was later included in regional Caprivi and, hence, the new tension. No tribe would entertain secession of part of “its territory” to the other. If, for example, Ohangwena had been named the Oukwanyama Region, Oshana the Uukwambi Region, and Oshikoto the Ondonga Region, the Ovakwanyama would not accept part of “their territory” to be part of Uukwambi or Ondonga regions. Similarly, Aandonga would not accept Ondangwa to be a part of Uukwambi Region. Nor would a normal Damara entertain seeing part of the Damara Region included in Kaoko Region. Thanks to the non-tribal regional names, we observe no border tensions between any of Namibia’s other regions.
To solve the Kavango-Caprivi border conflict, the DCN should simply change the names of the two regions, but still, in an acceptable manner. They may rename Kavango as Maguni or Mukuro and Caprivi as Lyambeshi or any name preferred by the residents themselves. In this way a tribal Kavango portion would extend into the Lyambeshi Region or a part of tribal Caprivi into Maguni/Mukuro Region without any problem. The tribal Caprivians would still be Caprivians whether they are in Lyambeshi or Maguni and so would Kavangos.
The borders cutting off major tribal groups, by themselves, are not a complicated matter. The colonial government had set them clearly and they were accepted by the affected people. The government had devised a system of permanent checkpoints on such borders – Divundu, Mururuani, Oshivelo, etc. The Namibian government has endorsed the system and, actually extended it. Today we have a new major checkpoint on Tsumeb-Katwitwi Highway, cutting off tribal Kavango, and even a larger one between Kavango and Owambo. The latter could not be taken as between regional Kavango and Ohangwena because we have nothing between any of Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Oshana, and Omusati!
I see only one way to solve the Kavango-Caprivi border tension: renaming the two regions. Then we shall have a separation between regional and tribal politics. The traditional authorities there, would rule over their respective territories even across the regional borders peacefully. Such an arrangement is working very well in other regions such as Erongo, Kunene, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, and the four regions of tribal Owambo.
*Jackson Mwalundange studied, among others, political science and ethnography at Trinity College, and his employment with the Forum For The Future has taken him to all corners of Namibia, including remote villages of Kavango and Caprivi.