Re-looking at African History

SLAVKO Filipovic’s “Look at African History” published in The Namibian of April 16 stimulated my thoughts and prompted me to contribute to this important topic.

As a student of history, palaeontology, archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, etc I have very few corrections to make and then develop the theory a bit further and pin it down to examples of colonialism and imperialism from our own doorstep. It has now been accepted in the palaeontological world that Africa is the cradle of mankind.But the first hominids did not appear here until some 4.5 (not 7) million years ago.Our early ancestors started walking on two legs only less than two million years ago when they became homo erectus.But the homo sapiens did not become modern human or homo sapiens sapiens until some 200 000 years ago.Even their Neanderthal cousins and the Cro-Magnon humans (the Aurignacians) did not appear until some 230 000 years ago.The native peoples of Africa at the dawn of the European colonial and imperialist expansion (which, as Filipovic observed, had nothing to do with skin colour) could also be grouped as: Whites (Hamites) (in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, etc), Nelotic (in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, etc), Negroid (the Sudanic people of west Africa and the Bantu of central, East, and southern Africa), Pygmies (of central West Africa), Asiatic (not Asians – in Madagascar, Seychelles, and Mauritius), and Khoisan (of southern Africa).Because of differences in cultural materials (tools, technology, food, etc), religion, organisational levels, and physical environment, these human groups have subjugated and colonised one another throughout history and pre-history.It is believed in some palaeontological circles that the Neanderthals of Europe, who rarely made any stone or bone tools, were wiped out by the invading tool-making homo sapiens sapiens from Africa.The dramatic human movement of 3 000 BC Filipovic mentioned was an escape from subjugation and colonisation by invading groups from the north.The escaping Bantu subjugated and colonised the weaker groups they encountered on their way.The Mbutis (of the Pygmy group) in central West Africa, for example, were pushed all the way into the Ituri Forest of DRC and Gabon.In southern Africa, the Khoisan were pushed all the way to the southern tip of the continent.Others were pushed into the thicker forests of Angola, Namibia, etc.In Namibia, the San of the Khoisan group are bearing the brunt to this day.Because of the differences cited above, they had kept on running – fleeing the Bantu groups that were ever invading their territories.In north central Namibia they found new homes in the areas of Eenhana and Utsathima.Finally those at Eenhana found themselves in the Okongo area.Both San groups had nowhere else to escape to and the Bantu group – armed with the newly acquired religion, weapons and implements, pastoral and agricultural skills and advanced (not superior!) organisation – subjugated them and colonised their last lands.The Bantu are now busy dismantling the San culture and way of living.United with other groups such as whites and other Khoisan and in the name of modernity (civilisation), the Bantu have passed laws banning hunting – the very foundation of the San societies.The same people are working hard day and night to overcome the Himba people in the north-west and colonise their land.Although the pastoral Himba, just like their Masai counterparts in East Africa, are culturally resistant efforts to defend their independence are surely doomed to fail in the face of the united world forces of imperialism and colonialism.The wars to subjugate other peoples are continuing all over the world today.All this is imperialism and colonialism and has nothing to do with colour but with the elements Filipovic and I cited.No wonder some people from all colours in Namibia today claim to be un-free – marginalised, oppressed, suppressed, or discriminated against by their liberators or new masters, if you like, who are not necessarily white but have some advantages over others.Even, as Filipovic says, “[t]he land issue in Namibia today has much to do with complicated human developments on the African continent” and such current developments in our country can have explosive effects in future if not handled responsibly.J. Mwalundange Windhoek Contact: 061-249624It has now been accepted in the palaeontological world that Africa is the cradle of mankind.But the first hominids did not appear here until some 4.5 (not 7) million years ago.Our early ancestors started walking on two legs only less than two million years ago when they became homo erectus.But the homo sapiens did not become modern human or homo sapiens sapiens until some 200 000 years ago.Even their Neanderthal cousins and the Cro-Magnon humans (the Aurignacians) did not appear until some 230 000 years ago.The native peoples of Africa at the dawn of the European colonial and imperialist expansion (which, as Filipovic observed, had nothing to do with skin colour) could also be grouped as: Whites (Hamites) (in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, etc), Nelotic (in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, etc), Negroid (the Sudanic people of west Africa and the Bantu of central, East, and southern Africa), Pygmies (of central West Africa), Asiatic (not Asians – in Madagascar, Seychelles, and Mauritius), and Khoisan (of southern Africa).Because of differences in cultural materials (tools, technology, food, etc), religion, organisational levels, and physical environment, these human groups have subjugated and colonised one another throughout history and pre-history.It is believed in some palaeontological circles that the Neanderthals of Europe, who rarely made any stone or bone tools, were wiped out by the invading tool-making homo sapiens sapiens from Africa.The dramatic human movement of 3 000 BC Filipovic mentioned was an escape from subjugation and colonisation by invading groups from the north.The escaping Bantu subjugated and colonised the weaker groups they encountered on their way.The Mbutis (of the Pygmy group) in central West Africa, for example, were pushed all the way into the Ituri Forest of DRC and Gabon.In southern Africa, the Khoisan were pushed all the way to the southern tip of the continent.Others were pushed into the thicker forests of Angola, Namibia, etc.In Namibia, the San of the Khoisan group are bearing the brunt to this day.Because of the differences cited above, they had kept on running – fleeing the Bantu groups that were ever invading their territories.In north central Namibia they found new homes in the areas of Eenhana and Utsathima.Finally those at Eenhana found themselves in the Okongo area.Both San groups had nowhere else to escape to and the Bantu group – armed with the newly acquired religion, weapons and implements, pastoral and agricultural skills and advanced (not superior!) organisation – subjugated them and colonised their last lands.The Bantu are now busy dismantling the San culture and way of living.United with other groups such as whites and other Khoisan and in the name of modernity (civilisation), the Bantu have passed laws banning hunting – the very foundation of the San societies.The same people are working hard day and night to overcome the Himba people in the north-west and colonise their land.Although the pastoral Himba, just like their Masai counterparts in East Africa, are culturally resistant efforts to defend their independence are surely doomed to fail in the face of the united world forces of imperialism and colonialism.The wars to subjugate other peoples are continuing all over the world today.All this is imperialism and colonialism and has nothing to do with colour but with the elements Filipovic and I cited.No wonder some people from all colours in Namibia today claim to be un-free – marginalised, oppressed, suppressed, or discriminated against by their liberators or new masters, if you like, who are not necessarily white but have some advantages over others.Even, as Filipovic says, “[t]he land issue in Namibia today has much to do with complicated human developments on the African continent” and such cur
rent developments in our country can have explosive effects in future if not handled responsibly.J. Mwalundange Windhoek Contact: 061-249624