Ben Africa (born 13 October 1938) is a

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

n politician, medical doctor, and former Baster captain. Africa is most notable for serving as the fourth Captain of the Baster and his tenure as vice-president of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance.

Life and death

Ben Africa was born in Rehoboth,

South West Africa South West Africa was a territory under Union of South Africa, South African administration from 1915 to 1990. Renamed ''Namibia'' by the United Nations in 1968, Independence of Namibia, it became independent under this name on 21 March 1990. ...

(present-day Namibia). He was educated at Athlone High School in Cape Town, South Africa. He studied medicine at the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) (, ) is a public university, public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest univer ...

Medical School in 1964. Africa narrowly avoided expulsion after publicly confronting on-campus racial discrimination. He became the first Resident District Surgeon of Rehoboth in 1966. In 1971, alongside John McNab and Piet Junius, Africa established the Rehoboth Baster Association (RBA). The RBA was founded in opposition to the Rehoboth Volksparty to negotiate with the

government, to counteract the

gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhea, is an inflammation of the Human gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal tract including the stomach and intestine. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Fever, lack of ...

epidemic in the " Baster Gebied". Africa was elected as Captain of the Basters on 3 October 1977, winning by 2,307 votes. His closest competitor, Johannes Diergaardt, challenged the result, whom received 2,180 votes.''Translations on Sub-Saharan Africa'', U. S. Joint Publications Research Service, Nr. 1831, S. 85.↑ Africa would remain as Baster captain until a successful court challenge by Diergaardt overturned the October 1977 vote, pronouncing Diergaardt as the fifth, and last, Baster captain. In November 1977, the RBA joined the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA). Africa went on to become vice-president of the DTA on 3 July 1978.

References

1938 births Living people Namibian politicians Namibian political people 21st-century Namibian politicians {{Namibia-politician-stub