GAM – “I’ve travelled all over the world. This [Namibia] is home. I want to take all of you [along when I travel] on a big bus, and take you around.
“When you are there, you will say, ‘I want to go back home.’ That’s why I say Namibia is the only place we can call home.”
These remarks were made by late president Hage Geingob during one of his keynote speeches in 2023 after having traversed the world for more than six decades as liberation struggle freedom fighter, diplomat and later as a statesman.
Geingob’s words reverberate loudly when one zooms in on the life story and winding journey of Iruka Matundu, who is one of over 100 Botswana returnees of Namibian descent.
They are currently being housed at a reception area on the outskirts of the Gam settlement in the Otjozondjupa region.
What is striking is that, unlike Geingob, Matundu was not born here. However, his ancestral roots to the country run beyond imagination.
It was his forebears who formed part of a portion of the Ovaherero and Ovambanderu who escaped the grip and surrounds of colonial Germany’s genocidal war and went to the Omaheke Desert, hoping to reach British Bechuanaland, present-day Botswana, to seek refuge.
Fewer than 1 000 reached the destination, and were granted asylum by the colonial British authorities.
Today, their descendants have continued to show their willingness to return in their hundreds to their motherland.
At present, many are found in villages such as Tsau, Semboyo, Makakung, Kareng, Bothatogo, Toteng, Sehithwa, Bodibeng, Komana and Chanoga; and the Ngamiland district at large centres such as Charleshill and Maun.
Motherland
More than 100 years later, Matundu, a devoted husband and father of nine, would leave behind a blossoming teaching career, financial stability and promising prospects to retrace the footsteps of his forefathers back to what he calls the “motherland”, Namibia.
The first group of Batswana of Namibian ancestry were repatriated from that country in April 1993, and that number has since immensely grown over the years, and continues to grow.
“For me and the people you see and those who returned before us, it is not about the money, the career or the stable lifestyle we had in Botswana; it is far more than that. It is an unexplained calling by the ancestors for us to come back home and reconnect with our brothers and sisters here. I left all that behind to return to the motherland, and just being here under the Namibian skies and stars is very fulfilling and life-changing. This is where we belong, and this is where every Batswana of Namibian descent yearns to come. Namibia is home,” reiterated Matundu, beaming with a sense of joy in his eyes.
For over 24 years, he taught as a secondary school teacher across various schools in the Gumare area of the Okavango Delta region in the North-West District of Botswana, and it is there where he honed his skills to become one of the leading educators in that region.
In 2010, his outstanding performance in Botswana’s education sector was handsomely rewarded when that country’s government offered him an opportunity to either get a promotion or a scholarship to further his studies in the education field at the University of Namibia (Unam).
He accepted the scholarship to further his studies at Unam, and that decision was not just solely an academic decision, but he saw it as an opportunity to come and reconnect with the land of his ancestors.
“I came here, and completed my degree in education through the sponsorship of the Botswana government. I used my time while in Namibia to know more about the motherland and connect more with the people here, not just the Otjiherero-speaking people, but also other Namibians. I returned to Botswana, but deep down I knew it was not the end of me and Namibia, as I was determined to come here, and this time, it would be forever.”
Ancestral call
Having served the Botswana education sector with dedication for over 24 years, tendering that resignation letter and handing it over to his superiors, whom he had known for decades, and explaining his decision of permanently moving to Namibia to his children, was one of the toughest things he had to do, Matundu recalled.
“I was one of the best-performing teachers in our education circuit in the Okavango Delta region, and telling my superiors that I was resigning from my job and moving to Namibia was not easy. My children, who at the time had little understanding of our roots and connection with Namibia, could also not understand or comprehend my decision. But I was not to be convinced otherwise, and luckily my wife understood that this was more than just moving to another country, but a deep calling by the ancestors for us to return home.
“I had a good-paying job, a stable life and a blossoming career, but I left all that behind to come home. To be honest, nothing compares to the feeling and peace of mind of being here at home in Namibia at this reception camp. For me and many of us here at the reception camp, the joy we feel is unmatched. For those who know the history of these two countries [Botswana and Namibia], they will understand why the Hereros in Botswana assisted exiled Namibians with food, accommodation, transport and other things during the liberation struggle for Namibia. It is because we knew and understood that Namibia is our motherland, and we had to contribute to the fight to free it,” he reasoned.
Reception
At the reception area just a few kilometres out of the Gam settlement, where close to 120 Botswana returnees of Namibian descent were received by the government late last year, Matundu and his wife run a small daily home shop from their tent, from where they sell basic food items and other daily needs to those at the reception area.
His wife, a degree holder in pre-primary education, runs a day-care school at the reception area which caters for children of fellow returnees.
“We just don’t want to sit idle and wait on the Namibian government to give us everything. That is why we decided to open a small shop here to help with some income, and also the pre-school to cater to the children in the reception area. Like me, my wife has been a teacher for years, and she enjoys teaching; that is why we opened the pre-school under the tent here.”
Future
All the returnees currently at the reception area have been issued with Namibian IDs and passports, and the elderly have already been enrolled to receive old-age grants and other social benefits from the Namibian government.
In Namibia, the old-age pension grant is N$1 600 for all citizens above the age of 60, while in Botswana the government’s old-age pension grant is P1400, and citizens only qualify from the age of 65.
This, Matundu opined, has further reassured them that they are truly welcome at home, and has made them even more eager to go out and contribute to the growth of Namibia.
“We have been well-received here, and all our children have been enrolled in schools, which gives us some peace of mind. As for myself and what the future holds, it has been a bit difficult to get a teaching job here because my qualifications are aligned with the Botswana curriculum, which goes with a speciality in History and English subjects. But for the Namibian job market, I was told I need to specialise in History and Geography subjects. But I remain hopeful that a job opportunity will soon come my way, as I truly want to put my many years of experience to work and help educate the Namibian child as well.”
While waiting for job opportunities in the Namibian education sector, the 49-year-old Matundu has enrolled for a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration at the Botswana Open University.
“Education will always remain key, and we must be ready to serve when called upon. I’m not just a great teacher; I’m also an exceptional farmer and good handyman at most things. Back in Botswana, I own some cattle that I left in the care of others, but once we are fully resettled here in Namibia, I plan to continue with my farming activities here because I know my potential as a farmer,” he beamed.
Unlike in Botswana, Matundu said cattle farming in Namibia is more lucrative and business-orientated, and that gives them a lot of hope and excitement.
“We have noticed that the Namibian government has conductive and enabling policies for cattle farmers, and generally for the beef sector. The Namibian government takes its farmers to heart, and that is why this country’s beef sector is one of the best and most thriving in SADC, even when compared to Botswana, where I was farming. Most of the people you see here at the reception area own lots of cattle in Botswana, and we want to continue with that exercise in Namibia, and contribute to the growth of the beef sector.”
Committed
As part of its ongoing efforts to resettle, integrate and create economic opportunities for hundreds of returning Batswana of Namibian descent, the Namibian government has to date spent close to N$60 million to acquire five farms for their relocation.
The Namibian government has welcomed the descendants’ plea to return to their motherland, and to demonstrate its willingness, the government has to date bought a total of five farms measuring a combined 23 000 hectares for about N$60 million to resettle the returnees.
Three of those farms are in the Otjozondjupa region, while one is in the Hardap region, and another in the Omaheke region.