The Bondelswarts are a
Nama ethnic group of
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...
living in the extreme south of
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 ...
, in an area centred on the town of
Warmbad.
[''Big Swords, Jesuits, and Bondelswarts'', John S. Lowry, p.64]
History
They rose up against German colonial rule in the
Nama War 1903-1906.
They were brutally repressed.
They inhabit an arid region around
Fish River Canyon
The Fish River Canyon (Afrikaans: ''Visrivier Canyon'' or'' Visrivier Kuil'', ) is located in the south of Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa, and the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia.Matador Trips - 27 of the deepest c ...
and the
Richtersveld
The Richtersveld is a desert landscape characterised by rugged kloofs and high mountains, situated in the north-western corner of South Africa’s Northern Cape province. It is full of changing scenery from flat, sandy, coastal plains, to cragg ...
.
In 1922 they were involved in the
Bondelswarts Rebellion, a revolt against a tax on dogs, which was violently repressed.
References
Notes
Further reading
*
* John S. Lowry, ''Big Swords, Jesuits, and Bondelswarts'', 2015.
* Brian Wood, ''Namibia 1884-1984: Readings on Namibia's History and Society'', Namibia Support Committee, United Nations Institute for Namibia, 1988
* Alfred T. Moleah, ''Namibia, the Struggle for Liberation'', 1983
* Dean McCleland, ''John Dunn: Part 1 – Background to the Bondelswarts People & the SAC'
Nama people,
Ethnic groups in Namibia
ǁKaras Region
{{Namibia-stub