Traders and Trade in Colonial Ovamboland, 1925-1990 , livre ebook
282
pages
English
Ebooks
2014
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282
pages
English
Ebooks
2014
Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus
Publié par
Date de parution
14 août 2014
EAN13
9783905758566
Langue
English
Poids de l'ouvrage
51 Mo
Taking the history of trade and of traders as its subject matter, this book offers the first economic history of northern Namibia during the twentieth century. It traces Namibia's way from a rural, largely self-relying society into a globalised economy of consumption. This transformation built on colonial economic activities, but it was crucially shaped by local traders, a new social elite emerging during the 1950s and 1960s. Becoming a trader was one of the few possibilities for black Namibians to gain monetary income at home. It was a pathway out of migrant labour, to new status in the local society and often to prosperity. Politically, most traders occupied a middle ground: content of their own social position, but intent on political emancipation from colonial rule. Economically, their energy and business acumen transformed northern Namibia into an increasingly urban consumer society. The development path they chose, however, depended too much on the colonial reserve economy to remain sustainable after 1990. Their legacy still shapes spatial and social structures in northern Namibia, but most traders' businesses have today closed down. By telling the history of the rise and decline of traders and trade in northern Namibia, this book is thus also a reflection on the conundrums of economic development under conditions of structural inequality.
Voir
Publié par
Date de parution
14 août 2014
EAN13
9783905758566
Langue
English
Poids de l'ouvrage
51 Mo
Traders and Trade în Coonîa Ovamboand, 1925–1990
Gregor Dobler
Traders and Trade in Colonial Ovamboland, 1925–1990 Elite Formation and the Politics of Consumption under Indirect Rule and Apartheid
Baser Arîka Bîbîograpîen 2014
©2014 he autor ©2014 Te potograpers ©2014 Baser Arîka Bîbîograpîen
Baser Arîka Bîbîograpîen Namîbîa Resource Centre & Soutern Arîca îbrary Kosterberg 23 PO Box 2037 CH-4051 Base Swîtzerand www.baserarîka.c
A rîgts reserved
Cover poto: Davîd Seeama’s maîn store, Outapî. Probaby mîd-1970s, unknown potograper. Poto courtesy o Mrs. Jakobîna Seeama.
ïSBN 978-3-905758-40-5 ïSSN 2296-6986
Contents
Introduction
1 e early years: from itinerant traders to monopoly stores
2 e monopoly stores, 1925–1952
3 e first locally owned stores, 1937–1955
4 From indirect rule to liberation war: Ovamboland 1948-1978
5 Traders in a modernizing society
6 Stores and spatial organization after 1950
7 Taking sides? Traders and politics during the liberation war
Conclusion
Annex
Archival sources
List of Illustrations
References
Index
Vïïï
2
1
8
6
2
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1
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242
Acknowledgment
ïn eary 2004, ï dîd not know anytîng about traders în Nortern Namîbîa. ï, ten years ater, ï ave been abe to wrîte a book about tem, ît îs due to te peope wo ave sared teîr knowedge and experîence wît me, wo ave gîven me access to arcîva sources and wo ave wecomed me as a guest and a rîend. My irst tanks go to a my conver-satîon partners, partîcuary to Mattîas Hamukoto, Rose-Mary Kasuuu, Juîa Mbîda, Oswîn Mukuu, eonard Mukwîongo, George Namundjebo, Eîakîm Prîns Sîîmî, Ja-kobîna Seeama, Ras Seeama, Erastus Samena, Jaîrus Sîkae, ucîa Sîkwambî, Pasukenî Soombe and Andîmba Toîvo ya Toîvo. ïn many o tese conversatîons, Jo-sep Ndakaako was an exceent înterpreter, door-opener and co-researcer. Over te years, many peope în Namîbîa ospîtaby wecomed me în teîr omes and aowed me to sare a pîece o teîr îves. Among tem, ï am especîay grateu to Peter Caroîssen, Jutta and Eva Dober and Jon Grober, Nancy Robson, Erastus Samena and Pasukenî Soombe. Voker Wînteredt osted me as a guest researcer at te Unîversîty o Namîbîa. ïn te Natîona Arcîves o Namîbîa, Werner Hîebrect and te entîre team ave aways been extremey epu and wecomîng. Even more entusîastîc about my researc was Nancy Robson în Odîbo, wo as managed to gater and preserve a rea treasure trove o materîa în te ukenge Arcîves and as te deep oca knowedge and experî-ence to make sense o ît. he staf at te arcîves o te Vereînte Evangeîsce Mîssîon în Wupperta, te Bundesarcîv în Berîn, te Wîîam Cuen îbrary în Joannesburg and te Zentrabîbîotek Zürîc ave been very proessîona and epu, as we, wîe ît was a great peasure and prîvîege to dîscuss Namîbîan îstory sma and arge wît Pastor Peter Pauy at te arcîves o te Evangeîca uteran Curc în te Repubîc o Nambîa în Wîndoek. ï ave wrîtten most o te manuscrîpt wîe workîng as a ecturer at te Department o Socîa Antropoogy and a member o te Centre or Arîcan Studîes at Base Unîversî-ty. he atmospere o rîendy excange, te contînuous encouragement and constructîve engagement wît my work and te cooperatîon wît coeagues rom dîferent subjects and wît înterest în dîferent regîons greaty advanced my tînkîng about te temes o tîs book. he Swîss Natîona Scîence Foundatîon inanced a sîx-mont researc trîp în 2006 în te ramework o te researc project “Regaînîng Trust and Cîvî Securîty în Post-
V
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Conlîct Socîetîes”. A unîversîty grant by te Unîversîty o Base gave me te opportunîty to inîs te manuscrîpt. Base turned out to be an îdea pace to wrîte about Namîbîa, not east because o te Base Arîca Bîbîograpîes (BAB) and te weat o resources and servîces tey provîde to researcers. ï am very grateu to te Scettweîn amîy or teîr generosîty and open-mîndedness în enabîng and promotîng researc on Soutern Arîca, and ï ave earned a ot rom te ongoîng excange wît Dag Henrîcsen, Gîorgîo Mîescer and everybody ese at BAB. Petra Kerckof as been an eIcîent, competent and patîent edîtor. Many coeagues provîded înput, encouragement or crîtîcîsm. Mîcae Boîg, Tî Förster, Robert Gordon, Dag Henrîcsen, Rîta Kesserîng and Eísîo Macamo read te entîre manuscrîpt; teîr comments gave me a res vîew on te materîa and greaty împroved te book. Gerd Spîtter and Tî Förster ave taugt me wat ï know about antropoogy and contînue to înspîre my engagement wît te dîscîpîne, and wît te word at arge. To a tese îndîvîduas and înstîtutîons, and to many more wo were ess dîrecty învoved în te wrîtîng o tîs book, but sared my work and îve over te ast years, ï am prooundy grateu.
Vïï
Introduction
hîs book îs a îstory o traders and tradîng stores în twentîet century nortern Namîb-îa. hroug te prîsm o trade, ît ofers a detaîed account o socîa and poîtîca cange în te regîon te coonîa autorîtîes caed Ovamboand. abour mîgratîon, coonîa rue în îts cangîng orms, oca socîa dîferentîatîon, urbanîsatîon and te strugge or îbera-tîon were a crucîay înked to te îstory o sops and teîr owners. My maîn ocus îes on te tîme between 1925, wen te irst stores were opened, and 1990, wen te ormer omeand Ovamboand became an întegra part o îndependent Namîbîa. Scoary wrîtîngs on Namîbîa’s ‘omeands’ rom 1948 to 1990 oten stress poîtî-ca stagnatîon and present te perîod’s îstory as a engty and weary pat to îberatîon. here are good reasons or suc an approac. abour mîgratîon, aparteîd poîcîes, te bruta occupatîona regîme and te war deepy afected Namîbîa’s socîety and stîled socîa creatîvîty. Hopes o îndependence and democracy were agaîn and agaîn dased by te contînuîng Sout Arîcan oppressîon. he omeand admînîstratîon ad îtte egîtîmacy to begîn wît and was soon undermîned by mîîtary rue, so tat îberatîon and te transî-tîon to democracy were eventuay negotîated and brougt about by externa actors. But te act tat no poîtîca revoutîon came about în te omeands soud not dîstract us rom anaysîng te socîa îstory o aparteîd’s omeands în teîr own rîgt. hey were muc more tan dîre waîtîng rooms to îndependence. Underneat te poîtî-ca stagnatîon and cose to te teatres o war, socîa and economîc deveopments took pace tat radîcay atered socîety. hey aîd te oundatîons on wîc post-aparteîd Namîbîan socîety was to be buît, and are, în dîferent ways, quîte as consequentîa as te country’s poîtîca îberatîon. Wîtout understandîng tese canges and teîr reatîon to te îstory o aparteîd and oppressîon, we wî aî to understand contemporary Namîb-îan socîety. Some suc canges îe at te center o tîs book. ïn wrîtîng ît, ï started wît an înter-est în te present rater tan te past. ïn 2004, ï came to Osîkango, a sma but bustîng trade boomtown on te border to Angoa, to do researc as a socîa antropoogîst. ï sougt to anayse te town’s înternatîona trade connectîons and teîr poîtîca împîca-tîons, and ï saw Osîkango as a pace în wîc goba canges afectîng Arîcan coun-trîes were more vîsîbe tan esewere. ï ave sînce wrîtten papers on trade, on Cînese 1 expatrîates, on poîtîca reguatîon în te new town and on cross-border dynamîcs. But
1
See Dober 2005, 2008b, 2008c, 2009a, 2009c or contemporary perspectîves on trade în te area.
Vïïï
as my researc progressed, a deeper and more regîona îstory aso caugt my attentîon. ï was struck by te number o rater decayîng ocay owned sops and supermarkets în te regîon’s towns and vîages. ïn every arger settement, ï saw barn-îke supermarkets buît by oca busînesspeope în te 1970s or 1980s. Amost a o tem stood near empty, wîe Sout Arîcan caîn stores, ruît woesaers operated by Cape Maay amîîes or new Cînese sops trîved next door. he od stores seemed mere reîcs o an earîer trade boom totay dîsconnected to te present one. ïntrîgued by tîs contrast o boom and bust, ï became înterested în te îstory o retaî stores în pre-îndependence Ovamboand. Very soon ï reaîzed ow împortant te stores ad been or te oca socîety, not ony rom an economîc poînt o vîew, but aso or te regîon’s socîa and poîtîca îe. ïn te course o my researc, ï came to ook at te omeand era no onger as a perîod o stagnatîon, but as ormatîve years o Namîbîa’s post-aparteîd socîety – ormatîve years, owever, wîc took pace under te very specîic and decîsîve condîtîons o te apart-eîd state and were eavîy înluenced by tem. My researc turned înto an attempt to descrîbe socîa and economîc dynamîcs în segregatîon and aparteîd-era Ovamboand, and to sow ow te înterpay between outsîde domînatîon and oca actors canged Namîbîan socîety. Aparteîd and te îberatîon strugge cast teîr sadow on every scene descrîbed în tîs account, but under teîr sadow, muc more appened tan te îme-îgt o natîonaîst îstory woud make us suppose. ï gîve a detaîed overvîew o tîs book and îts maîn teses în te ast part o tîs în-troductîon. Beore tat, ï set out îts teoretîca rame în a revîew o exîstîng îterature on tree o îts major temes – cîvî socîety, consumptîon and coonîa domînatîon –, provîde a sort overvîew on te regîon or readers unamîîar wît nortern Namîbîa and dîscuss some metodoogîca and termînoogîca poînts.
A short literature review
ïn 1938, ïsaac Scapera appeaed to îs coeagues to încude traders în teîr studîes o te contemporary reaîtîes o Arîcan socîetîes. “he tradîng store”, e wrote, “te abour re-cruîter and te agrîcutura demonstrator must be consîdered întegra parts o te modern economîc îe, te scoo as part o te routîne educatîona deveopment o te cîdren, and te Admînîstratîon as part o te exîstîng poîtîca system.” (Scapera 1938: 27) ïn te very year Scapera’s pea appeared în Maînowskî’s amous coectîon on met-ods or te study o cutura cange, Sîmon Gaoua rom Uukwauudî appîed or a î-cence to open te irst ocay-owned store în coonîa Ovamboand, a regîon în Nortern Namîbîa. He oowed te exampe o two arger wîte-owned sops estabîsed în 1925
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