Ghanzi In History (Part 8) Samkoa & Sheppard

Our last instalment noted that by August of 1922 many Khoe (Basarwa/ 'Bushmen') in the Ghanzi District, as well as then South African administered South West Africa (SWA, i.e. Namibia), were reportedly attracted to the emerging resistance movement led by a 'bandit' leader known as Samkoa.

News of the growing threat posed by Samakoa’s brigands was communicated to the Ghanzi Magistrate, Capt. A.L. Cuzen by the Acting Magistrate at Gobabis, SWA, Lt. E.L. Grayson, in a dispatch dated August 19, 1922:

“I daresay that you have heard that the late Magistrate at Gobabis- Capt. van Ryneveld- was shot by Bushmen on the 26th. ultimo and died by the same day. We have a small force operating against the Bushmen at present- approximately at 21 N and 19 East. These Bushmen have been raiding cattle for several months past on a scale which hasn’t been experienced before and threatening anyone who went in pursuit of them. It is possible that the result of the present operations may be that these Bushmen may cross your border.”

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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