San lands invaded in Namibia

Cattle may be the last act for some of humanity’s first people, the Ju|’hoansi.

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Located in remote northeastern Namibia, close to the Botswana border, the 9000km² Nyae Nyae Conservancy is one of the last two remaining San lands. Because of this land, the Ju|’hoansi San still practice hunting with bow and arrows and are able to maintain their culture. But the world’s oldest culture is now under threat from pastoralists.

The Ju|’hoansi, like other San people, have been subjected over the past two thousand years to colonialism, genocide and dispossession. In recognition of their historical ownership of the land, the Namibian government legally established the land as the Ju|’hoansi’s in 1998. Approximately 1450 people are members of the Conservancy, which is managed through a Traditional Authority.

But because of a climate change-induced drought and land-hunger, Herero pastoralists have been moving into Tsumkwe, the administrative centre of the Otjozondjupa region, and their cattle and goats are invading and destroying the surrounding Nyae Nyae Conservancy. Since 2009, the cattle population in Tsumkwe has tripled and, despite their legal communal status, the Ju|’hoansi do not have the political power to stop this influx of people and animals.

The future is not great for the Ju|’hoansi. The manager of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, Erastus Heinrich, predicts that if the cattle aren’t removed "the whole of the Conservancy will be filled with Tsumkwe cattle farmers. They will start with land grabbing, that’s what I'm seeing already. There will be illegal farming taking place within the Conservancy. I think the Conservancy will die out as well."

Despite repeated written requests, the Namibian government declined to comment on the situation in Nyae Nyae.

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and Global Green Grants provided support for the field research for this story.