84-1929

1929	During the famine of 1929-1931 in eastern Ovamboland (which continues till 1933 in the west) known as "ondjala yomatale" ("famine of the dams"), the SWA Administration intervenes on a large scale by organising people to dig dams in exchange for food relief. This involves the mass entry of women and children into the public domain in Ovamboland. Most "able-bodied" men are encouraged to work on public projects in the south of the territory. The food-for-work programme moves the existing gender labour division onto a new plane. The Ovamboland Affairs Proclamation, No. 27 of 1929, is passed. This law provides, inter alia, for the setting aside of Ovamboland as a "native reserve for the sole use and occupation of the Ovambo, for the creation of trust funds for each of the tribes in Ovamboland, for the payment of levies by members of the various tribal groupings to those funds, and for the moneys in the funds to be expended by the Administrator". The first automatic telephone service is inaugurated in Windhoek by Administrator Werth. The first call is made to Mayor John Meinert. The Windhoek-Gobabis railway line is substantially completed. A new telephone line is extended from Ondekaremba to Gobabis. A Roman Catholic mission station is established in Bunya in the Mbunza area of the Kavango. Mbukushu King Disho I dies. Successor is Dimbu II (until 1939). Dimbu’s heir, Disho II, is exiled to Botswana by the South Africnas in 1947, returns, however, to Namibia in 1969. The Mbukushu King (1939-1947) Disho II who was sent into Exile by the South Africans in 1947 at Mukwe, June 1975 Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks From 1947 to 1969 the Mbukushu area is ruled by King Max Makushe. After 1969 the Mbukushu kingdom is represented by Fumu Alfons Majavero und Fumu Frans Dimbare. The first oil well is drilled near Berseba. There is a gas blow out during the drilling but no oil is discovered.
25.02.	A deputation of the Deutsche Bund in Südwestafrika takes up the issue of the German language and German voting rights with SA Prime Minister JBM Hertzog.
March	The unsuccessful Deutsche Bund deputation states that the "blacks" have a "very low standard of civilisation", and self-rule could only be exercised on an equal basis by "white" British and German subjects.
03.03.	The so-called "Angola Trek" ends in Outjo.
12.05.	Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma is born in Okahao (Ovamboland).
03.07.	The UNSWP wins a two-thirds majority in the general "all-white" elections for the Legislative Assembly. SWA Administrator AJ Werth neutralises this result by appointing more Germans to the Assembly. German members continue to campaign for German language rights and against automatic naturalisation.
01.09.	The administration of the Caprivi Strip reverts to the SWA Administration (until 1939). Negotiations begin for the finalisation of the south-western Caprivi Strip border between the Okavango and Chobe Rivers. The border is fixed "from a point twenty miles south of the point where the line from Andara (Thipanana Island) intersects the Chobe River, thence along a line running parallel with and twenty miles south of the northern boundary". A government delegation from Windhoek tries to cross the western Caprivi Strip from Andara. The delegation is not able to traverse the Kwando River and is forced to return. These transport-related problems are the reason that the administration of the Caprivi Strip reverts back to Pretoria in 1939.

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