Topnaar goes back to his roots

A DONKEY cart in town is an unusual sight these days but with another rise in fuel prices that hit Namibian motorists yesterday and international crude oil prices peaking at US$139 a barrel over the weekend, some people might revert to old traditions.

Fanuel !Haoseb of the Topnaar people, who have been living for centuries along the Kuiseb River south of Walvis Bay, told a different story on Saturday, when his donkey cart was spotted at Walvis Bay. “In 1986 the South African government invited us Topnaars to move from the Kuiseb to Walvis Bay and they offered us housing.Some of us made the move but with rising living costs and unemployment our municipal debts increased and we could not pay for water and electricity anymore,” !Haoseb told The Namibian.”After ten years the debts of our family became so high that the Walvis Bay municipality decided to evict us and other Topnaar families, which finally happened about seven years ago, a sad day for all of us.”The !Haoseb family had no option but to look for a place to put up a shack in the sand dunes a few kilometres south of Walvis Bay.The donkey cart is their only means of transport.”Unfortunately our traditional leadership has not supported us in our darkest hour when we had to leave our municipal home,” !Haoseb added.The Topnaars are led by Chief Seth Kooitjie.Since their move to the sand dunes, the !Haoseb family has been taking care of a small cemetery where about 40 Topnaars are buried.It is no small task, with the ever-shifting sands of the Namib threatening to bury the graves.Now there is a new threat to the peace of the ancestors.”We have heard rumours that the Walvis Bay municipality might expand the municipal dumpsite further, where the graves are.This would be terrible as they form an important part of our cultural history and heritage.”After a friendly goodbye, !Haoseb picked up the reins, the donkeys fell into a quick trot and with a dog circling the cart with a few joyful barks, the foursome quickly disappeared between two sand dunes in the howling wind.”In 1986 the South African government invited us Topnaars to move from the Kuiseb to Walvis Bay and they offered us housing.Some of us made the move but with rising living costs and unemployment our municipal debts increased and we could not pay for water and electricity anymore,” !Haoseb told The Namibian.”After ten years the debts of our family became so high that the Walvis Bay municipality decided to evict us and other Topnaar families, which finally happened about seven years ago, a sad day for all of us.”The !Haoseb family had no option but to look for a place to put up a shack in the sand dunes a few kilometres south of Walvis Bay.The donkey cart is their only means of transport.”Unfortunately our traditional leadership has not supported us in our darkest hour when we had to leave our municipal home,” !Haoseb added.The Topnaars are led by Chief Seth Kooitjie.Since their move to the sand dunes, the !Haoseb family has been taking care of a small cemetery where about 40 Topnaars are buried.It is no small task, with the ever-shifting sands of the Namib threatening to bury the graves.Now there is a new threat to the peace of the ancestors.”We have heard rumours that the Walvis Bay municipality might expand the municipal dumpsite further, where the graves are.This would be terrible as they form an important part of our cultural history and heritage.”After a friendly goodbye, !Haoseb picked up the reins, the donkeys fell into a quick trot and with a dog circling the cart with a few joyful barks, the foursome quickly disappeared between two sand dunes in the howling wind.

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