Agathe Hug. Namibia – where in the world is that? In southern Africa – but where exactly? Let’s see, we (mentally) board a four-wheel drive vehicle in Maputo, where perhaps we were (mentally) during breakfast after the September 10th Mass in covenant with Mozambique, and we depart towards the west and a little to the north. Then after approximately 100 kilometers, we cross the border with South Africa. Around one hundred kilometers later, we go north around Pretoria, and after several hundreds of kilometers more, we cross the border of Botswana. Then after a relatively short trip of only 600 km., one arrives at the border of Namibia. Next, after only, some 1895 km. and after driving twenty-three hours and twenty-six minutes (according to the Google maps), we arrive where we want to be – that is, in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.
It is good that we only made this trip mentally – it would have been inconvenient to obtain all the visas. In reality, it is probable that we would travel by plane, especially because we would have traveled through the Kalahari Desert on the way and the dry savannah as it is sometimes called. Actually, since the end of the 90’s, the Kalahari can be crossed via the Trans-Kalahari turnpike. It is a very well-constructed highway, but it would not be a good idea without a local guide who is familiar with the driving regulations.
A little bit of history – it is always about people
Namibia is the artistic name for a country that is highly heterogeneous in reference to its residents. Named for the Namib Desert, characteristic of this country and created to commemorate independence avoiding preferences or discrimination of the different ethnic groups.
It is estimated that approximately 27,000 years before Christ, the Bosquinians already populated Namibia, although evidence is difficult to find. Almost 2,500 years ago the San established themselves here; they are an indigenous people from southern Africa. In the 13th century, the Battues followed, for example the Herero shepherd people from Botswana and the Nama from the Province of Cabot. They pressured the San in the direction toward the Kalahari, where they still live as nomads.
In the 15th century, the lands were colonized by Portugal. However, only a few European colonists followed, since the coastal strip with the Namib Desert was not exactly hospitable. The United Kingdom followed, and then in 1884, it became a German colony. None of the colonial powers lived a glorious stage during the colonial era – rather, it was not a memorable chapter, which is kept quiet. My hair stands on end, when I read the history of Namibia, where the colonists personally, or through the use of the so-called peace armies, subdued the African tribes. It was then in 1904, there was a Herero and Nama uprising, when it was suppressed with violence at the cost of the lives of 85,000 people. The German colonial era ended with the outbreak of World War I in 1915. In 1919 the League of Nations bequeathed its temporary administration to South Africa in the form of a mandate, in which Namibia was a de facto province. During the South African occupation, the system of racial segregation (Apartheid) was imposed and forced mobilization of people was carried out. In 1960 the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, many times, declared the South African occupation illegal.
The country just obtained its independence in 1990 – since its independence it was named Namibia.
Diamonds, tourists, drought
In 2010, Namibia had 2.6 inhabitants per square kilometer. This figure opposes the one from the year 2005 when it had 2,642,249 sheep, 1, 820,260 cattle, 1,627,895 goats, 96,336 donkeys, only 63 camels, and many other animals. Based on these conditions, we can see how the inhabitants of Namibia subsist. There is no transformational industry in Namibia. What does exist are diamonds. But before packing for Namibia, the diamond areas are restricted. You are cordially welcomed to Namibia as a tourist. Namibia is developing tourism as a source of income.
For those who truly want to experience solitude and immensity, Namibia is the right destination. The reason is clear: Namibia is the driest country south of the Sahara and only few parts of the land are truly inhabitable. 160 kilometers of the Namib Desert extend along the coast, the Kalaharia lies to the east and between the two deserts there is a low hill around the capital of Windhoek. The inhabited areas are mainly the metropolitan cities. Approximately 44% of the population lives in the regions of Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, and Oshikoto. One third live in the center of Namibia, more than 300,000 live in Windhoek. Only 7% live in the southern part of the country.
No one lives along the coast, except in the metropolitan areas of the three port cities of Swapokmund, Walvis Bay, and Luderitz. It is not in vain that Namib means “empty space” or “the place where there is nobody”.
Missions in Namibia
Along with the colonial powers, the missions also came, thus approximately 85% of the population in Namibia is Christian, which is not synonymous of being Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church in Namibia had 350,000 members in 2008, which is the equivalent of 16% of the total population and it represents about 20% of the Christians. All the others are Protestants, or they belong to other Christian churches.
The Roman Catholic Church in Namibia has a very well structured website: www.rcchurch.na. If one visits this site, you will notice that along with the concrete figures, it is mainly the religious communities, which shape it. In comparison, there are very few diocesan priests, and there are even three bishops in Namibia, who belong to the Oblate Fathers. They were the first missionaries in Namibia. The “Oblates of Mary Immaculate” from Germany, began their official work on December 8, 1896. They were followed by the Benedictines, Jesuits, Salesians, as well as other small or lesser known religious communities. The same applies to the women’s communities. Among them are the communities with a pronounced Marian orientation.
The incredible enormous size of the parishes in terms of circumference, attracts ones attention; these parishes are cared for by one or two and sometimes by three priests.
The Catholic Church in Namibia is profoundly committed to the prevention of AIDS; the religious communities direct the hospitals and schools.
The Pilgrim MTA…
What about Schoenstatt in Namibia? The only thing that is known is that the Pilgrim MTA somehow arrived in Namibia. Surely it was a long time ago through Father Esteban Uriburu, who took it to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Whoever has more precise information is cordially invited to share it.
In any case, next Saturday, September 17th, we will celebrate the Holy Mass in the Original Shrine in Covenant with Namibia.
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio/Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, USA
