Leonardville, Namibia
Encyclopedia
Leonardville is a village in Omaheke Region in eastern Namibia
. It belongs to the Aminuis electoral constituency
. The place normally receives an annual average rainfall of 236 millimetres (9.3 in), although in the 2010/2011 rainy season 530 millimetres (20.9 in) were measured.
Leonardville was the main settlement of the Kaiǀkhauan (Khauas Nama) subtribe of the Orlam Nama until their military defeat against Imperial Germany
's Schutztruppe
soldiers in 1894 and 1896.
people until the Khaiǁkhaun (Red Nation
), who called the place Naosanabis, occupied their land. Around 1840 the group around Amraal Lambert
, first Captain
of the Kaiǀkhauan Orlam, moved into the area. They had been granted residence and pasture in the land of the Red Nation against an annual fee. In 1843 the Wesleyan
Missionary Society established a missionary station here; its first missionaries
were Joseph Tindall and his son Henry. They named the settlement Wesley Vale. In 1855 the Rhenish Missionary Society
took over the operations. They bought the existing buildings—the church, the pastor's house, and the forge
—and began to run a school for 60 to 80 children.
Amraal Lambert's group, however, searched for a different place to settle. They moved to Gobabis
in 1855 or 1856.
Amraal Lambert and most of his family died from smallpox
in 1864. Some time after that the Kaiǀkhauan, now under the leadership of Amraal's grandson Andreas
, moved back to Naosanabis. From here they controlled important trade routes. Using their technological advantage of commanding firearms and horses they were waylaying and robbing merchants. In the 1880s the Kaiǀkhauan were considered a powerful and dangerous force.
When Imperial Germany colonised the area a decade later, Lambert refused to sign a "protection treaty". Regarding the Kaiǀkhauan as a comparatively weak force by the Germans, their commander Theodor Leutwein
mounted a surprise attack on Naosanabis on 6 March 1894 in order to set an example for the stronger forces in then German South-West Africa
not to stand in his way.
The Schutztruppe forces won the battle and expelled the village's residents. The land was given to Angola Boers, farmers who participated in the Dorsland Trek
migration movement from South Africa
to Angola
but decided to turn around and settle in South-West Africa. After the Herero and Namaqua Genocide
1904/05, Isaak Witbooi of the ǀKhowesin (Witbooi Orlam) moved to Naosanabis—the Kaiǀkhauan clan had at that time ceased to exist due to the devastating attack by the Germans. During South African administration the settlement was renamed to Leonardville after Dutch Reformed Church
Minister Leonard.
s, there is still a considerable San population. Of the estimated 500 remaining Taa speakers in Namibia, over 50 reside in Leonardville.
in the village, the ruling SWAPO party won 3 of 5 seats on the village's local council. RDP
and NUDO each won a single seat.
, Namibian farmer and former politician, settled in Leonardville.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. It belongs to the Aminuis electoral constituency
Aminuis Constituency
Aminuis Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Omaheke Region of Namibia. It has 12,343 inhabitants, its district capital is the settlement of Aminuis. The constituency forms part of the border between Namibia and Botswana....
. The place normally receives an annual average rainfall of 236 millimetres (9.3 in), although in the 2010/2011 rainy season 530 millimetres (20.9 in) were measured.
Leonardville was the main settlement of the Kaiǀkhauan (Khauas Nama) subtribe of the Orlam Nama until their military defeat against Imperial Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
's Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe was the African colonial armed force of Imperial Germany from the late 19th century to 1918, when Germany lost its colonies. Similar to other colonial forces, the Schutztruppe consisted of volunteer European commissioned and non-commissioned officers, medical and veterinary officers. ...
soldiers in 1894 and 1896.
History
The area around Leonardville was inhabited by the Taa-speaking subtribe of the SanBushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
people until the Khaiǁkhaun (Red Nation
Red Nation
"Red Nation" is a song by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist Game featuring vocals from rapper Lil Wayne, from his anticipated fourth studio album The R.E.D. Album...
), who called the place Naosanabis, occupied their land. Around 1840 the group around Amraal Lambert
Amraal Lambert
Amraal Lambert, Nama name: ǂGaiǀnub, was the first Captain of the Kaiǀkhauan , a subtribe of the Orlam, in the eastern area of Namaland, today's Namibia....
, first Captain
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
of the Kaiǀkhauan Orlam, moved into the area. They had been granted residence and pasture in the land of the Red Nation against an annual fee. In 1843 the Wesleyan
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
Missionary Society established a missionary station here; its first missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
were Joseph Tindall and his son Henry. They named the settlement Wesley Vale. In 1855 the Rhenish Missionary Society
Rhenish Missionary Society
The Rhenish Missionary Society was one of the largest missionary societies in Germany. Formed from smaller missions founded as far back as 1799, the Society was amalgamated on 23 September 1828, and its first missionaries were ordained and sent off to South Africa by the end of the year.The...
took over the operations. They bought the existing buildings—the church, the pastor's house, and the forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
—and began to run a school for 60 to 80 children.
Amraal Lambert's group, however, searched for a different place to settle. They moved to Gobabis
Gobabis
Gobabis is a town in eastern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Omaheke Region, and the district capital of the Gobabis electoral constituency. Gobabis is situated down the B6 motorway from Windhoek to Botswana. The town is from the Buitepos border post with Botswana, and serves as an...
in 1855 or 1856.
Amraal Lambert and most of his family died from smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
in 1864. Some time after that the Kaiǀkhauan, now under the leadership of Amraal's grandson Andreas
Andreas Lambert
Captain Andreas Lambert, also: Andries Lambert, Nama name: ǃNanib, was the second Kaptein of the Kaiǀkhauan , a subtribe of the Orlam, in the eastern area of South-West Africa, today's Namibia....
, moved back to Naosanabis. From here they controlled important trade routes. Using their technological advantage of commanding firearms and horses they were waylaying and robbing merchants. In the 1880s the Kaiǀkhauan were considered a powerful and dangerous force.
When Imperial Germany colonised the area a decade later, Lambert refused to sign a "protection treaty". Regarding the Kaiǀkhauan as a comparatively weak force by the Germans, their commander Theodor Leutwein
Theodor Leutwein
Theodor Gotthilf Leutwein was colonial administrator of German Southwest Africa from 1894-1904. Born in Strümpfelbrunn in the Grand Duchy of Baden, he replaced Curt von François as commander of the Schutztruppe in 1894...
mounted a surprise attack on Naosanabis on 6 March 1894 in order to set an example for the stronger forces in then German South-West Africa
German South-West Africa
German South West Africa was a colony of Germany from 1884 until 1915, when it was taken over by South Africa and administered as South West Africa, finally becoming Namibia in 1990...
not to stand in his way.
The Schutztruppe forces won the battle and expelled the village's residents. The land was given to Angola Boers, farmers who participated in the Dorsland Trek
Dorsland Trek
Dorsland Trek is the collective name of a series of northwards explorations undertaken by South African settlers in the second half of the 19th century in search of political independence...
migration movement from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
but decided to turn around and settle in South-West Africa. After the Herero and Namaqua Genocide
Herero and Namaqua Genocide
The Herero and Namaqua Genocide is considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in German South-West Africa , during the scramble for Africa...
1904/05, Isaak Witbooi of the ǀKhowesin (Witbooi Orlam) moved to Naosanabis—the Kaiǀkhauan clan had at that time ceased to exist due to the devastating attack by the Germans. During South African administration the settlement was renamed to Leonardville after Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
Minister Leonard.
People
Despite the encroachment of Tswana, Orlams, and BoerBoer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
s, there is still a considerable San population. Of the estimated 500 remaining Taa speakers in Namibia, over 50 reside in Leonardville.
Politics
In the 2010 local electionNamibian local and regional elections, 2010
Namibia held elections for their local and regional councils on 26 and 27 November 2010. The terms of regional councillors and local authority representatives were originally set to expire in 2009...
in the village, the ruling SWAPO party won 3 of 5 seats on the village's local council. RDP
Rally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia)
The Rally for Democracy and Progress is an opposition political party in Namibia. It was launched on November 17 2007 under the leadership of Hidipo Hamutenya and Jesaya Nyamu, both former leading members of the ruling SWAPO party and cabinet ministers. Hamutenya had unsuccessfully sought the SWAPO...
and NUDO each won a single seat.
Notable residents
Jan de WetJan de Wet
Johannes Marthinus de Wet was a Namibian politician and farmer.-Politics:De Wet entered politics as a member of the South African Parliament from 1964-70. He then became the Commissioner General of Indigenous People from 1970-78...
, Namibian farmer and former politician, settled in Leonardville.