Correcting Namibian History

It is necessary to rename public holidays in Namibia to reflect the real history of the country.

The major triumphs against colonialism were the battles of Narudas and Narus but these events are not even commemorated.

In addition, these imperative days should be observed because of their extraordinary historical coincidences. Let us explain.

The battle of Narudas had three phases. On 10 March 1905, Jakob Marengo’s guerilla army launched a surprise attack against the Germans at Aob.

Marengo knew the colonisers were planning a large-scale assault against them, and unleashed a pre-emptive strike.

It was a classic war of the flea, i.e. guerilla warfare – hit when it’s least expected and disappear quickly.

Marengo’s force downed 40 of the 130 German soldiers at the waterhole.

The following day, the Germans launched a frontal onslaught with three sections consisting of 1 000 soldiers.

Marengo and Abraham Morris fled to Khauxa!nas.

It was a military victory for the colonisers in terms of conventional warfare – as Marengo had to retreat, with material losses.

What the Germans did not know at the time was that Marengo was heavily wounded. But the colonisers’ success was not decisive.

As Marengo would later say in an interview with the Cape Times in May 1906: “They (the Germans) … do not understand guerilla warfare.”

21 MARCH 1905

Ten days later, on 21 March 1905, the injured Marengo struck back. Once again, he surprised the Germans, this time 60 kilometres outside Keetmanshoop.

The colonisers had wagons stretching for three kilometres loaded with goods confiscated at Narudas. Marengo recovered much of them.

In addition, the Germans suffered more casualties than on 10 March.

It was a Marengo masterstroke. And the ultimate achievement against colonialism in Namibian history.

The battle of Narus occurred on 15, 16 and 17 June 1905. Marengo had set up an operations site there as Narus was close to a waterhole south of the Kareb river.

A heavily armed German unit arrived on 15 June with a Krupp Mountain gun and shot many cattle.

The next day, 16 June 1905, the German colonial force suffered heavy fatalities as they were scaling the gorge and were almost completely wiped out at the hands of Marengo’s forces.

The colonisers pulled back but once again killed as many cattle as possible and destroyed the waterhole.

COINCIDENCES

So, the remarkable historical coincidences of 21 March at Narudas and 16 June at Narus provide a compelling reason to rename those two days on the Namibian calendar.

Public holidays such as 21 March and 16 June were about the South African struggle up to this point.

The Sharpeville massacre and the youth uprising were turning points in South Africa’s history, but did not have a noteworthy political impact within Namibia.

We remember those specific days because Swapo failed to effectively mobilise internally against the colonial regime in our country and could therefore not propose other public holidays.

Further, the national liberation struggle in Namibia really started on 12 January 1904 and this day should be evoked instead of 26 August 1966.

Unlike the Marengo guerilla army, the Swapo fighters cannot point to a large-scale military victory they achieved against colonialism.
For example, 26 August is based on the arrest of Swapo fighters and the falsehood that the national liberation struggle began on this day.

Moreover, it has to do with the myth that Swapo had an internal base and that the Nujoma (or Omusati) faction was at the forefront of the struggle.

In fact, in his book ‘Never Follow the Wolf – The Autobiography of a Namibian Freedom Fighter’, Helao Shityuwete, a founding member of Plan, notes his involvement in a real fighting incident between Plan and colonial forces a few months earlier in a different region.

So, why should we observe 26 August?

CONFLICTING VIEWPOINTS

In this context, it is strange we don’t celebrate the battle of Cuito Cuanavale although Swapo claims it liberated the country there.

But Swapo fighters were not at the main site of that confrontation and overall played an insignificant role in it; it was really about the battle for Angola.

Political independence for Namibia was about getting the Cubans out of Angola and in fact led to the strengthening of capitalism in our country through neoliberalism.

It was a limited political independence typical of neo-colonialism, not the fundamental socio-economic change required.

Swapo has no interest in a balanced view of Namibian history as the party pretends the struggle was only about it. This could not be further from the truth.

What is urgently needed is a correction of Namibian history in the school curriculum and museums.

Let us have Narudas and Narus public holidays – and honour the onset of the national liberation struggle on the correct day.

• The authors are members of the Marxist Group of Namibia

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