Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Namibia/First Impressions 2.27.2006
Crossing the border into Namibia was one of the most shocking and disorienting experiences I have ever had. After living for five years in Western Africa and traveling through strife prone Central Africa, crossing into the Southern Africa was like stepping into a time warp and falling into Omaha, Nebraska. The strip malls, fancy cars, unabashed commercialism, policemen in cars with radar guns, Kentucky Fried Chicken, it all threw me for a loop. I was preparing myself for this in South Africa, but I was shocked to encounter it so soon in Namibia.
I hadn't read up on my Namibian history before coming and didn't realize that it had been occupied by South Africa and didn't get its independence until 1990. Apartheid had been well entrenched and its wounds are still fresh. In most major towns, whites and newly made blacks live in the cities while just outside of town lurk the townships where the majority of blacks live in less than ideal conditions. They provide the cheap labor necessary to keep the cities running, but are practically bussed in and out everyday.
Nate and I accidently wandered into a township in Tsumeb, looking for an open joint to grab a beer. People were very shocked that we were there. Whites just didn't go into the townships alone. We didn't know this then. Everybody was accommodating and there was no real fear for our safety, but it was obvious that this was very unusual. Over the next week, we talked to white Namibians who said that the townships were dangerous, took us to "white" bars and clubs, discouraged us from frequenting mixed places, and made offhand comments that anywhere else in the world would be perceived as racist.
While this didn't represent the majority of white Namibians I met, there were a surprisingly large number of people that viewed everything, from work to social activities, by color. Along with the whites and blacks, there are also the "coloreds" who normally keep to themselves, consider themselves better than the blacks, but are generally despised by everyone else because they are thought to be lazy and uneducated. There are entire sections of the capital, Windhoek, which are segregated almost exclusively by race. It will take some time to get used to this, as well as figure out ways to deal with it.
Crossing the border into Namibia was one of the most shocking and disorienting experiences I have ever had. After living for five years in Western Africa and traveling through strife prone Central Africa, crossing into the Southern Africa was like stepping into a time warp and falling into Omaha, Nebraska. The strip malls, fancy cars, unabashed commercialism, policemen in cars with radar guns, Kentucky Fried Chicken, it all threw me for a loop. I was preparing myself for this in South Africa, but I was shocked to encounter it so soon in Namibia.
I hadn't read up on my Namibian history before coming and didn't realize that it had been occupied by South Africa and didn't get its independence until 1990. Apartheid had been well entrenched and its wounds are still fresh. In most major towns, whites and newly made blacks live in the cities while just outside of town lurk the townships where the majority of blacks live in less than ideal conditions. They provide the cheap labor necessary to keep the cities running, but are practically bussed in and out everyday.
Nate and I accidently wandered into a township in Tsumeb, looking for an open joint to grab a beer. People were very shocked that we were there. Whites just didn't go into the townships alone. We didn't know this then. Everybody was accommodating and there was no real fear for our safety, but it was obvious that this was very unusual. Over the next week, we talked to white Namibians who said that the townships were dangerous, took us to "white" bars and clubs, discouraged us from frequenting mixed places, and made offhand comments that anywhere else in the world would be perceived as racist.
While this didn't represent the majority of white Namibians I met, there were a surprisingly large number of people that viewed everything, from work to social activities, by color. Along with the whites and blacks, there are also the "coloreds" who normally keep to themselves, consider themselves better than the blacks, but are generally despised by everyone else because they are thought to be lazy and uneducated. There are entire sections of the capital, Windhoek, which are segregated almost exclusively by race. It will take some time to get used to this, as well as figure out ways to deal with it.
1 Comments:
Sean- I've been reading "Cry, the Beloved Country" (seriously, I know, I should have read it in jr. high like everyone else) and the the story describes the townships and city just like you do. I just can't imagine it in person. You'll have to tell me more!
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