University of Namibia Press – förlag

ëFailure is not in my vocabularyí says Libertina Inaaviposa Amathila ñ medical doctor, leading member of Namibiaís liberation movement SWAPO, and Cabinet Minister for 20 years. Insightful, candid and amusing, this book traces Libertina Amathilaís journey from a village in western Namibia travelling alone to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1962; medical training in Poland, Sweden and London; and the health and education centres in Zambia and Angola that she helped develop and run for Namibians in exile; to a victorious return home in 1989; service in the Cabinet of independent Namibia; and a leading role in the World Health Organisation. Courageous, committed, cutting through difficulties that deterred others, Libertina Amathila has assisted and empowered Namibian communities, particularly women, in exile and at home. As Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing, Minister of Health and Social Services, and Deputy Prime Minister, she focused on those in need, such as squatters, street children, and those affected by HIV/AIDS, and undertook immediate practical measures to improve their lives. Packing her tent and supplies, she drove to remote areas and camped out until houses and clinics were built for marginalized communities, assisting in the design and construction process herself. An indomitable spirit drives this remarkable woman. This is her story.

In 1963 Mukwahepo left her home in Namibia and followed her fiancÈ across the border into Angola. They survived hunger and war and eventually made their way to Tanzania. There, Mukwahepo became the first woman to undergo military training with SWAPO. For nine years she was the only woman in SWAPOís Kongwa camp. She was then thrust into a more traditional womenís role ñ taking care of children in the SWAPO camps in Zambia and Angola. At Independence, Mukwahepo returned to Namibia with five children. One by one their parents came to reclaim them, until she was left alone. Already in her fifties, and with little education, Mukwahepo could not get employment. She survived on handouts until the Government introduced a pension and other benefits for veterans. Through a series of interviews, Ellen Ndeshi Namhila recorded and translated Mukwahepoís remarkable story. This book preserves the oral history of not only the ëdominant male voiceí among the colonised people of Namibia, but brings to light the hidden voice, the untold and forgotten story of an ordinary woman and the outstanding role she played during the struggle.

|Namgu’s Escape Theory was one of Brittle Paper’s 50 Most Notable African Books of 2020.|Namgu is a beautiful, privileged girl from a wealthy family. As she steers through life at school and university, struggling to find her place in the world, tragedy strikes. Her life is thrown into turmoil as she battles to find an escape from loneliness, anger and depression. Even her soul-mate, Sophia, ‘the girl Carlos Santana sung into life cannot reach her, while her boyfriend Tangeni deserts her.Bold, insightful and raw, ǀNamgu''s Escape Theory is the first novel by talented young Namibian author Beauty Boois. It explores themes of identity, friendship, trauma and survival, and highlights issues of sexuality and mental health which are often seen as taboo in Namibian society.

Securing land rights takes up themes at the centre of socio-political debates throughout the African continent. These relate to national struggles over access to land, land distribution, land rights and security of tenure. Land in much of rural Africa is communally held, a system that provides security of livelihood and a social safety net, but is not immune to appropriation by government or injustices such as the eviction of women from the land on the death of their husbands.This book contextualises Namibia within these debates, highlighting the country''s stance in relation to communal land tenure reforms with a focus on the realities of people''s lives in north-central Namibia. Leading questions centre on competing ways of ascribing value to land; mechanisms and monetisation of access to land; commercialisation of land use, de-agrarianization and ongoing transformation underpinned by economic and territorial restructuring.These processes have direct impacts on equity in access to land and land distribution, and engender competing visions of land rights. Communal land reform is an uneasy compromise between different processes and interests.

Through moving life histories, Akira Takada gives the !Xun of north-central Namibia a voice in their own history. In contrast to othermarginalised San minorities, the !Xun foster co-operative relationshipswith their neighbours, the Ovawambo and with the state. In the face of radical social changes over the past century, they have maintained traditional hunting and gathering as a backstop but also sold their skills and labour, acquired their own farms and livestock, and enriched their child-rearing practices in changing ecological conditions. Centralto their identity and resilience are their kinship and naming practiceswhich preserve their ethnic cohesion while promoting relationships withother groups. Contributing to an established literature on the San, Takada’s book will allow detailed regional comparison on the !Kung-speaking groups of northern Namibia. Charming sketches from his notebooks give an intimate view of the anthropologist in the field.

Jahohora Petronella Inaavinuise, who came to be known as Mama Penee, was a young girl of eleven when her parents were shot in cold blood before her during the 1904–1908 genocidal war in Namibia. Waved away from the scene by a German soldier, she realised that it was her destiny to live. Finding water and food for herself and learning to avoid danger, she spent several months in hiding. Courageous and self-sufficient, she learned lessons in wisdom, calm, and what is truly important in life, lessons which she later imparted to her grandchildren in ways both ingenious and challenging. Her extraordinary personal qualities and influence shine from this story, told by one of her grandsons with the insight and understanding gained over a lifetime of reflecting on his grandmother.

My heart in your hands is a platform for poets in Namibia to speak out. It lays bare the hearts of nearly 100 poets who have with courage, honesty, and love, spilled their thoughts, tears, rage, regrets, love and laughter onto the pages of this book.This collection celebrates the country’s natural beauty, stands in awe of the strength of our people, expresses anger at the inequality and injustices present in our society and imagines idyllic dreams and hopes for a better future. The poems display rich poetic nuances, vary in length and form and give a textured view of the poets and the environments they represent, a true reflection of Namibian diversity, and a glimpse into our soul.

Botswana is a major producer of the world’s diamonds and has been a pacesetter for beneficiation in the country. All mineral resources are finite: Botswana is working towards diversifying the economy before the diamonds run out. As one of the most stable and prosperous countries in Africa, Botswana sets an example to follow. This book gives a practical review of topical issues and the roles of government, the private sector, economic institutions and the international community in drivingeconomic diversification. It highlights challenges faced by many small open economies in Africa as they search for new engines of growth.

Monale-nale, Aawambo oya li ya tala ko ondjamba oshinamwenyo shi tilitha noonkondo. Yo aniwa oya li ashike hayi itsuwa ongula aantu sho taya penduka. Yo aasamane yaawambo yonale kaya li haya lala inaaya pangela kutya ongula otaya meneka taya ningi shike. Ihe ngele nkene ya ka penduka omondjamba, oompangela adhihe dhesiku odha li dhi na okukalekwa opo omukunda aguhe gu kondeke ondjamba. Omupya omunene, Tshiwa, kehe ngaa esiku a pendukile, omondjamba. Sho ye mu nyengelele, ye okwa li oye awike, ashike osho e yi kola. Tshiwa okwa koko ngaashi aanona aakwawo yAawambo yopethimbo ndiyaka. Osikola okwe yi hiti poosikola dhongeleka yaKatoolika koshitopolwa shokonooli. Onkene uukwatya we owa li wa ngongwa komuthigululwakalo nelongo lyongeleka. Ta shi ti uuyuni we pethimbo ndiya owa li owala wa hulila pomukunda gwawo nopoomisioni dhaKatana nAnamulenge. Esiku limwe nkene ya ka lalele pwAnamulenge, Tshiwa naanasikola aakwawo ongula ya landula oye yi piti mwAngola. Ehokololo olya li lya yela. Ya kwathelwa kaakwiita yaSWAPO ya taaguluke oongamba noye ki iyadha kombanda metifa lyekondjelomanguluko lyaNamibia. Inapu kalwa, Tshiwa nayakwawo ya tumwa koosikola. Membo muno, Tshiwa ota hokolola nduno ondjila ye ndjo a enda naashihe shono a tsakaneke, mwa kwatelwa iinima oyindji mbyo ye mu adha ombaadhilila, nenge ka li e yi dhiladhila. Ihe Tshiwa ehokololo lye ote li hokolola a manguluka, nonenyanyu lyokutopolelathana. Ita holeke sha, nopoompito dhimwe ota shendjula nokuli kombinga yonkalamwenyo ye, yookume ke naapehe mpoka a kala. Ye lwahugunina ta hokolola wo nkene a tsakeneke omusamane gwe gwoshilumbu omupopі gwelaka lyOshindowishi, ovalele yaSwakopo. Nonando ondjokana yawo ya kumitha Aanamibia oyendji pethimbo ndiyaka, oya hedhitha wo pamwe omithigululwakalo noonkuluhedhi mbali.In Oshiwambo, the elephant is likened to the most challenging situation that people can face. If an elephant appears in the morning, all planned activities are put on hold and the villagers join forces to deal with it. For Tshiwa Trudie Amulungu, the elephant showed up on many mornings and she had no choice but to tame it. Growing up in a traditional household in northern Namibia, during the period of South African rule, Amulungu’s life started within a very ordered framework. Then one night she crossed the border into Angola with her schoolmates and joined the liberation movement. Four months later she was studying at the UN Institute for Namibia in Lusaka Zambia. She went on to study in France before returning after 12 years to take part in the elections that led to Independence. Amulungu recounts the cultural shocks and huge discoveries she made, both in exile and after Independence, with honesty, emotion and humour. She draws the reader into her experiences, reflecting on the socio-historical-cultural context, and portraying life, friends, and community in the different places she lived. This is a compelling story of survival, longing for home, fear of the return and overcoming adversity in strange environments. It is also a love story that brought two families and cultures together. The author reflects on the vast differences in life experiences over three generations in her family. There is no comparison between her childhood and that of her children, let alone between their youthful experiences and those of her parents. This book is written entirely in Oshindonga.

Customary Law Ascertained Volume 1 is the first of a three-volume seriesin which traditional authorities in Namibia present the customary laws of their communities. It contains the laws of the Owambo, Kavango, and Caprivi communities. Volume 2 contains the customary laws of the Bakgalagari, the Batswana ba Namibia and the Damara communities. Volume 3contains the customary laws of the Nama, Ovaherero, Ovambanderu, and San communities. Recognised traditional authorities in Namibia are expected to ascertain the customary law applicable in their respective communities after consultation with the members of that community, and to note the most important aspect of such law in written form. This series is the result of that process. It has been facilitated by the Human Rights and Documentation Centre of the University of Namibia, through the former Dean of the Law Faculty, Professor Manfred Hinz.

Omiano vya Tjipangandjara: Otjiherero Proverbs and Idioms is a unique collection of linguistic and cultural significance. The author has collected over 150 proverbs and idioms from the Ovaherero community, particularly the Ovakaoko, in Namibia, and from various written sources. He encourages the use of these proverbs as a means of cultural enrichment, since younger speakers of Otjiherero tend to use and/or translate English or Afrikaans proverbs. Concise and extensively researched, this book distinguishes between proverbs and idioms; gives the literal English translation; the origin; general meaning; context; usage; and English equivalents.

The author of this book, Prof. S.K. Amor, is Acting Director of the Justice Training Centre and lecturer at the University of Namibia. The writing of this book was inspired mainly by the fact that, despite Namibia''s independence in 1990, Namibian legal practitioners, academics and students lecturing and studying law at the University of Namibia (UNAM) still do not have a truly Namibian reference book. Instead, they rely heavily on legal literature from South Africa and other countries.An Introduction to Namibian Law is an attempt to bridge this gap by introducing law academics, lecturers and students to the most important aspects of Namibian law. It explains the origin of the country''s law and looks at the various influences over the years.The book contains material covered in various UNAM courses, such as Jurisprudence, Introduction to Cases, Comparative Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law, Interpretation of Statutes, and Civil and Criminal Procedure. It also contains various extracts in support of legal arguments, in which legal concepts are illustrated and thoroughly explained, as well as sample legal forms. Full accounts of certain cases are included to give students of Namibian law a depth of understanding of how Namibian law has been applied over the years.

Namibia is a land of contrasts like no other on the African continent. Hugh Ellis'' poetry and accompanying photography brilliantly capture these contrasts, and how they manage to co-exist, juxtaposed, but together. Yet his poetry has resonance with the wider world, that someone in any other country will find meaning in his words, and take ownership of his experiences. Heart wrenching and hopeful at the same time, Hakahana is a collection to take along a journey, to read at home on a lazy Sunday, or any other place, at any other time.- Sheena Magenya, Gender activistThe poems demonstrate a cleverness with language and especially rhyme and metaphor, and the reader is left paging forward to see what subtle twisting of language Ellis will next employ. The collection as a whole is very easily readable, as well as thought provoking.- Alexander Brewis, Lecturer, Namibia University of Science and Technology

Pursued through poetic pastures of faith, love, and time by an Omuhimba muse who alternately challenges and enchants him, D. Stevenson presents Ancestors and Other Visitors, a poetry anthology that is as sweepingly existential as it is personal and as sagely simple as it is complex.An immigrant, artist and spoken wordsmith observing the world through a traveler soul, Stevenson journeys through time and literary style to pay homage to influence such as e.e. cummings, W.B. Yeats and Robert Hayden in a wonderfully intimate selection of poems.Set primarily in Windhoek, Namibia, Stevenson’s home of 37 years, Ancestors is at once a musing on self, surroundings and the local artists who inflame his imagination: a young Namibian painter, a dance troupe that inspired ‘Arc magnificent’ and ‘Unseen’, with original ballet, and the assorted upcoming poets who fees his passion and whose stage he shares. Offering up exposition as well as desperate, imagined and curious conversations. Ancestors is a welcome and unprecedented addition to the Namibian poetry landscape.

The title Ohungipeki refers to a conversion of oral heritage into written form. The ohungi sessiontraditionally takes place in the evening during which oral stories, riddles, taboos, and traditions are taughtto children. This book literally puts the teaching of the evening assembly in the hand.The author’s rich command of Oshindonga revives archaic words that are not often used in writings oftoday and adds linguistic depth to the record of history and tradition. The book aims to capture significantinformation about the past for the sake of new and future generations (Embo ndika, nando lya nuninwaomuleshi kehe, otali neke unene omapipi omape...) and introduces readers to stories, forms of greeting,ceremonies, rituals, praise songs, ethics, fears, expectations, beliefs and the cosmology of the Aawamboin general and the Ondonga people in particular. The book will therefore prove valuable not only totraditionalists, but also to parents, teachers, linguists, ethnographers, social scientists and students ofphilosophy, history, culture and ethics, provided they have an understanding of the language.

This is the compelling autobiography of a Namibian freedom fighter. The son of a Rain King in southern Angola, Helao Shityuwete attended mission schools in Namibia before circumstances forced him into the migrant labour system - virtual slavery under the South African occupation of Namibia. His involvement in workers'' rights led him to join the newly-formed SWAPO movement and to make the dangerous and difficult journey to Tanzania, where SWAPO had its external headquarters. One of the first Namibians to take up the armed struggle, in 1966 Shityuwete joined a group of 10 SWAPO combatants on their hazardous return to Namibia to prepare for the war of liberation.Captured and horribly tortured, Shityuwete was one of 37 Namibians tried in Pretoria in the notorious Terrorism Trial. He spent the next 16 years on Robben Island in the company of Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, Nelson Mandela and other Namibian and South African political prisoners.Originally published in 1990, this updated version includes an epilogue where Shityuwete reflects on his life and challenges young Namibians to continue the fight for equality and social justice, to which he has dedicated his life.

Life on earth goes around in circles. It is like the sun that rises and sets without tiring. As it rises it arouses hope in everyone’s life and when it sets it brings about peace and tranquility. By repeating its routine of setting and rising the sun changes seasons, bringing rain and propelling wind, all of which sustain plants, animals and all living creatures. This energy also stirs the waves in the oceans. Katu kowa is a diverse collection of over 150 poems, with contributions from students at the University of Namibia. The book, through the various themes, praises life on earth emphasizing a person’s continual hunger and thirst for new heights even after reaching the very top. We always aspire for more, never truly satisfied with our accomplishments. Similarly, the reader will not be satiated from the sweetness of the poems in this book. This book is entirely written in Otjiherero.