Coloured People in Namibia
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (165,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Namibia, South Africa | |
| Languages | |
| Afrikaans, English, German | |
| Religion | |
| Protestantism, Catholic, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Baster, Khoikhoi, Namaqua, Griqua, Afrikaners |
Coloured people in Namibia are people with both European and African ancestry. Coloureds have immigrated to Namibia, been born in Namibia or returned to the country. These distinctively different periods of arrival, from diverse backgrounds and origins have led to a diverse Coloured population. This diversity was even further exploited by South African officials who referred to three distinct groups amongst the coloureds, namely: "Baster", "Cape Coloureds" and "Namibian Coloureds".
In addition, another element in the coloured makeup was the coloured community in the enclave of Walvis Bay (which remained part of South Africa until 1994) that was closely linked to the people and traditions of the Cape Coloured.
The biggest cultural clash occurred in the mid-1980s when the school students were becoming politically aware through teachers returning primarily from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). This led to them challenging their elders (elected to the Coloured Councils and Rehoboth self-government) who were anti-SWAPO. This embracing of black nationalism, and rejecting of the term "so-called coloured" led to many young coloured people rejecting their cultural history and insisting on a racially unified, Independent Namibia. Many would agree with Norman Duncan who asserted that "…there‘s no such thing as a coloured culture, coloured identity."
However, since the early 2000s, more and more writings have appeared arguing that Coloureds are being marginalised.
The coloured people represent a very wide range of genetic and cultural backgrounds. They are a mixed race with European and African ancestry. Their history under the rule of South Africa was very similar to that of the Cape Coloured. The general consensus is that coloureds accept the Seven Steps of District Six to show their lieneage to include:
A coloured pressure group, the African People's Organisation (APO) opposed the transfer of the German colony to the South African Authority. From the end of World War I, when South Africa took over the administration of South West Africa (now Namibia), more Cape Coloureds entered the territory. These settlers petitioned for permission to create a coloured township, and this was granted in 1921 by the South African Department of Native Affairs. The first coloured township was built in Windhoek north of the Old Location, in the area of present-day Pionierspark.
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Wikipedia