Flipside — Chris Jacobie
THE middle of the Orange River is the border between Namibia and its southern neighbour, South Africa.
That is what Namibians affirmed in their constitution, which — like Independence itself, and the 1989 elections and their results — was accepted unanimously. To suggest anything else would demand of Namibians that they amend their constitution. It is too much to ask.
For some in the Namibian media, politics and civil society to even insinuate a border dispute with South Africa is mischievous at best and ignorant at worst, and should be an insult to the common sense of every citizen of both South Africa and Namibia.
It is clear that successive South African governments have had an eye on natural resources for the future. In the run-up to Independence, undertakings were given that the border would move from the northern bank — where the 1890 Anglo-German agreement had placed it — to the middle of the river, and the two countries have been negotiating the boundary since 1991. Yet no government in Pretoria has been willing to sign what was promised.
From time to time Namibians, regardless of any differences they might have, must be united in the national interest.
In a world of growing factionalism and anarchy, it is an opportunity for Namibians to again rise to the challenge and defend their sovereignty from the Zambezi to the Orange River, and from the Atlantic to the Kalahari Desert.
Namibians answered the call when 1 April 1989 threatened to derail peace and independence, and through the Mount Etjo Accord peace still prevails, because Namibians kept their word to each other and to the rest of the world. They demonstrated unity again in the November 1989 elections, when they stood in long lines to vote for the parties of their choice, and stood shoulder to shoulder at Independence on 21 March 1990.
When the constitution needed correcting, they voted for the third Nujoma term and also limited all presidents thereafter to two terms only — proof that constitutional change is possible, but deliberate and rare.
Now they must again stand with their President, Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and with fellow Namibians, on the middle of the Orange River as the border with South Africa.
Moreover, two colonial powers, Germany and Britain, could not agree on the border. The Germans wanted the border to be on the southern bank and the British the Northern bank. The dispute was sent for arbitration that never took place, because of the First World War. The Namibian constitution and Namibians unanimously then demarcated the middle, and there is where Namibians should stand.
In fact, the smallest community of Namibia, the people of Noordoewer, can show the way by demanding a change to the name of the Noordoewer border post, which reinforces the idea that the northern bank is the border with South Africa.
There are great figures of the South in all of Namibia’s history who deserve to be honoured in a new name — confirmation that Noordoewer is no more, but Namibia is forever more.
The Kaptein or (Chief) Klaas Afrikaner Borderpost is as good as any other name to start with as history regards him as the first Nama that settled his people in Namibia in Southern Namibia.
