Namibia
Namibia: The Desert, the Diamonds and Reconciliation
Namibia is a country of deserts — the Namib, the oldest in the world, and the Kalahari to the east. This country of 2.6 million inhabitants, one of the least densely populated in Africa, won its independence in 1990 after a long struggle against South African occupation. Since then, Namibia has built a stable democracy, managed its diamonds and uranium wisely, and attempted to reconcile a country scarred by apartheid.
The Resource Management Model
Namibia is one of the rare African countries to have avoided the resource curse. The diamonds of the Skeleton Coast, the uranium of Rössing — these riches are managed through joint ventures with the state. The country also invented conservancies, areas where local communities manage wildlife and earn revenue from it. Tourism (Etosha, the dunes of Sossusvlei) is thriving.
The Ubuntu Strength: Reconciliation and Conservancies
Namibia inherited South African apartheid's inequalities: white farmers still own a large share of the land. Land reform is progressing slowly, through purchase rather than expropriation. Local communities — Ovambo, Herero, Himba, Nama, San — coexist peacefully. The trauma of the Herero genocide (1904–1908) by the Germans remains an open wound, recently acknowledged.
« Omundu oye omukwetu »
A person is your relative
— Proverb oshiwambo
Namibia shows us that the desert can bloom with good policies, and that reconciliation is a journey, not a destination.