Date

Historical event

1760 onwards

Settler farmers-hunters such as Jakobus Coertsé and Hendrik Hop take expeditions from the Cape Colony across the Orange River (!Garieb) to as far as Warmbard and the Karas (ǁKharas) mountains in southern Namibia, providing written accunts of their encounters with Nama(qua) peoples living there

1770s onwards

Whaling by American ships on the Namibian coast increases contact with esp. indigenous Khoe-speaking peoples

1790s

Hunting and exploration expeditions from the Cape Colony across the Orange River reach as far as present-day Rehoboth and inland from Walvis Bay towards the central highlands

Colonial conflict with so-called Orlam (i.e. ‘acculturated’ Nama) in the northern Cape Colony precipitates movement northwards across the Orange and increases influence over and alliances with Nama of southern Namibia

Early 1800s

Increasing European missionary influence, as the London Missionary Society becomes established along the Orange River and in southern Namibia, although also resisted by local Nama

1820s

Southern migration of Herero combined with drought precipitates first major clash over land and grazing between Herero and Khoe pastoralists, a dynamic that continues through the century, causing much internal displacement

1840s

Reports published in 1832 of guano on the coastal islands precipitates an immense rush on this valuable fertiliser, led by British investors and ships and increasing contact with coastal Khoe peoples

1840s onwards

Strengthening hold by European missionaries (especially Rhenish Missionary Society), traders-hunters and miners

Important mission stations and churches established at Okombahe, Omaruru, Otjimbingwe, Fransfontein and Sesfontein

1860s-1870s

Escaping persecution in Herero-Nama wars, !Gomen Topnaar Nama and Swartbooi Nama make their way north to Sesfontein, Fransfontein and the Kaokoveld, introducing an economy built on livestock raiding, horticulture and hunting

1884

Beginning of imposition of German colonial rule

1885

The Nama captains Cornelius Swartbooi of Fransfonten and Jan |Uixamab of Sesfontein sell ‘their respective territories’ in ‘the Kaoko-area’ to businessman August Lüderitz, through which Lüderitz acquires ‘the right of development and utilization of all mineral resources, while the captains reserved control over their places of residence and their pastures’. These rights are later acquired by the Kaoko Land and Mining Company, a London-based company represented by Georg Hartmann, in strategic alliance with the German colonial governor Leutwein

1897

Rinderpest dramatically diminishes livestock and threatens both indigenous and settler livestock economies

1904-07

German colonial / genocidal war

1905, 1907

Ordinances passed permitting ‘confiscation of property of the insurgent groups’,
contributing to impoverishment of indigenous Namibians

Okombahe Reserve allocated to Damara

‘Police Zone’ established in southern and central Namibia, effecting substantial control of movement and settlement of Namibians, increasingly marked by a veterinary cordon fence or ‘Red Line’

1918

Institution of South African Administration under a League of Nations Mandate

1923

 ‘First Schedule’ ‘Native Reserves’ established including:

Reserve

Linguistic/cultural ‘groups’

hectares

Okombahe

Damara

36,188

Fransfontein

Damara (Nama, Herero)

172,780

Sesfontein

Topnaar and Swaartbooi Nama, Damara, Herero (Himba, Tjimba))

31,416

1925-1951

‘Second Schedule’ Reserves established including:

Reserve

Linguistic/cultural ‘groups’

hectares

1925

Otjohorongo

Herero

330,000

Otjimbingwe

Damara (Herero)

83,053

Aukeigas

Damara

                                 10,862            

1950s

Diamond mining established on Skeleton Coast, restricting access to dwelling sites and resources by people living there

1954

Use of newly surveyed farms in west Outjo District by commercial European settler farmers as additional monthly grazing

1956

Okombahe Reserve enlarged through the purchase of the farm Sorris-Sorris to accommodate Damara farmers evicted from the Aukeigas Reserve near Windhoek, following its deproclamation in order to create the Daan Viljoen Game Park

1940s onwards

Grazing licenses then farm purchases for surveyed farms made available to white settler farmers in west Outjo District

1958-1970

Westward extension of Etosha National Park boundary to the coast and south to Ugab River concentrates people into settlements concentrated along the park boundary

1964

Odendaal ‘Commission of Enquiry into South West African Affairs’ takes place
to establish recommendations for land redistribution

mid-1960s

Vacation of white settler farms in west Outjo District and their purchase by the Evaluation Committee of the South African administration. Lease of farms as ‘emergency grazing’ to European farmers from other regions

1971

Skeleton Coast National Park gazetted

early 1970s

223 previously white-owned farms in west Outjo District made available to the Bantu Commission for incorporation into the Damara ‘homeland’ as delineated by the Odendaal Commission

Movement to the ‘homeland’ by qualifying communal farmers
Palmwag, Etendeka and Hobatere hunting / tourism concessions established, supported by Damara Traditional Authority

1976

Opening of Rössing uranium mine, near the Khan River as it approaches the Swakop River,
around 60kms inland from Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast

1978

First (largely boycotted) election of the legislative council responsible for administration of the ‘homeland’

1970s-1980s

War for independence, coupled with severe drought, contributes to significant declines of indigenous fauna

1981

Election of the Damara Council led by Justus ǁGaroëb,
heralding the emergence of a strong ‘Damara’ power within the region

1990

Independence; new administrative regions delineated, and land reform process initiated.

New ‘conservancies’ become registered in many communal areas to foster
Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) through the promotion of tourism and trophy-hunting