The Hambukushu of Namibia’s Kavango East Region
A Comprehensive History
by Maria Fisch
ISBN 9789994576784
Namibia Scientific Society/Kuiseb Publishers, September 2022
The Hambukushu of Namibia’s Kavango-East Region by Maria Fisch is the first ever comprehensive history of the Hambukushu people, covering a period of approximately 300 years. The older history of the Hambukushu is partly based on extensive research material which Father Joseph Wüst gathered between 1921 and 1939 from elderly Hambukushu informants, who still possessed first-hand knowledge about their past.
The author takes the reader back to the Hambukushu’s original home at Mussuma, their sojourn at Ditomboro and along the Luyana and Mashi Rivers, and then describes their final settlement along the Kavango River around 1800 and up to recent times. The book presents valuable information on all Hambukushu traditional leaders (hafumu) and the traditional leadership elite, including exact genealogical details, their alleged ability to make rain, and important events during their time. Apart from the Hambukushu in Namibia, the book also describes the Hambukushu living in Angola, Botswana, and Zambia.
The author discusses their relationship with other people of the region including the !Kung, Khwe, Balozi, and Batawana during the time of slave-trade and the rule of different colonial powers. Since Roman Catholic missionaries played an instrumental role in shaping the lives of many Hambukushu, a large part of the book is devoted to their efforts in the fields of education, health care, and spiritual development.
This book is a must for anybody interested in this aspect of Namibian history.
