Basters
|
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 25,181 (1981) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Namibia | |
| Languages | |
| Afrikaans, English | |
| Religion | |
| Protestantism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Coloureds, Khoikhoi, Namaqua, Griqua, Oorlam, Afrikaners |
The Basters (also known as Baasters, Rehobothers or Rehoboth Basters) are a Namibian ethnic group descended from European settlers, primarily the Dutch, and indigenous African women from the Dutch Cape Colony who speak Afrikaans. They are generally considered the Namibian subgroup of the Afrikaners and more distantly the Coloureds of South Africa. Since the second half of the 19th century, they have lived in central Namibia, in and around the town of Rehoboth. In ancestral history, they are similar to the groups classified as Coloured or Griqua people in South Africa. The name is also sometimes erroneously applied to, or used to refer to, all White Namibians (of which Basters are part).
The name Baster is derived from bastaard, the Dutch word for "bastard" (or "crossbreed"). While some people consider this term demeaning, the Basters use it as a "proud name", claiming their ancestry and history, treating it as a cultural category in spite of the negative connotation. Their 6th Kaptein is Joseph McNab, elected in 1999; he has no official status under the Namibian constitution. The Chief's Council of Rehoboth was replaced with a local town council under the new government.
The current numbers of Basters remain unclear (figures between 20,000 and 40,000 are estimated). Survival of the Baster culture and identity were called into question in modern Namibia. Modern Namibia's politics and public life is largely dominated by the ethnic Owambo people, who constitute nearly half of the population, and their culture. Baster politicians and activists have called Owambo policies oppressive towards their community and White Namibians in general.
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