The Baster Leadership Crisis

The Baster people are descendants of Khoi and European ancestors, and emigrated from the northern parts of South Africa, searching for land where they could settle peacefully with the indigenous people around 1870.

After many peaceful years, an unfortunate leadership crisis has emerged in the wake of the death of kaptein John McNab in 2020.

The late kaptein left behind the important legacy of contending passionately, like his predecessors, for fuller recognition of the Basters by the government as a unique communal group.

He had pursued this noble task as our leader within the parameters of the Namibian Constitution in a peaceful manner, believing that dialogue was the only viable and sustainable route to follow.

Following some antics by Martin Dentlinger, who tried unsuccessfully to usurp “;power”; through a strange and unprecedented narrative, the Basters opted to hold an election to choose a new kaptein in a democratic fashion.

This election was held last year on 24 April with Rynault van Wyk and Jacky Britz as the only candidates.

Needless to say, and as many are aware, the election turned into a farce as it was rigged and flawed in numerous ways.

Rynault van Wyk as kaptein-candidate red-flagged the process, and the outcome is being challenged in the High Court in an effort to secure election integrity.

The challenge in court was regarded as a last resort to fend off confusion after various attempts to address the situation failed. These attempts include discussions and engagements with all relevant community and government institutions.

For more than a year now Van Wyk and his supporters have tried in vain to get Britz and his supporters to the negotiation table.

Those consulted to intervene to convince Britz that peaceful negotiation is the only viable solution, include the Baster community at Rehoboth, Hardap region governor Salomon April, urban and rural development deputy minister Natalia Goagoses, and presidential affairs minister Christine //Hoëbes, at State House.

As a supporter of Van Wyk, I was involved to see whether the matter could be settled amicably through a renewed effort towards dialogue and negotiation.

We were open to an out-of-court solution to bury the hatchet.

Despite the rejection of our attempt to build a bridge between the two camps, I want to highlight that our door for peaceful dialogue and negotiation remains open.

I am deeply dismayed by the arrogant response of Britz last week, closing the door on the de-escalation of tensions and a possible resolution, after we yet again indicated our willingness to negotiate.

He sneeringly saw that as weakness.

I have no doubt that history will judge Britz harshly for this stubborn and callous reaction.

Instead of putting the interests of the Baster people above pure personal ambition, he wants to continue advocating division, choking development at Rehoboth.

This is particularly dishonourable given the obvious social and infrastructural decay of the town 32 years after independence.

Britz”; action would make the pursuance of the court case inevitable.

The outcome, whichever way it may go, would cause a widening gap between the Basters and gravely damage our unity and standing in Namibia.

Neville Angermund

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