Resettlement in Tsintsabis, Namibia : historical background and contemporary social complexities in Haiǀǀom and !Xun development planning
2025
Koot, Stasja | Khumûb, Moses
After Namibian Independence in 1990, group resettlement farms became crucial in development planning to address historically built-up inequalities that were largely based on land evictions for nature conservation and large-scale livestock ranching. Resettlement aims to provide marginalised groups with opportunities to start self-sufficient small-scale agriculture. This article addresses the history of the Tsintsabis resettlement farm, where at first predominantly Haiǁom ‘Bushmen’ (and to a lesser degree !Xun) were ‘resettled’ on their ancestral land. The history of Tsintsabis is analysed in relation to two pressing, and related, contemporary social complexities, namely: 1) ethnic tension and in-migration; and 2) leadership. We argue that the case of Tsintsabis shows the importance of acknowledging historically built-up injustices in development planning. The importance of doing long-term ethno-historical research about resettlement is thereby emphasised to better understand the contextual processes within which resettlement and development are embedded.
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