An Independent Caprivi: A Madness of the Few, a Partial Collective Yearning or a Realistic Possibility? Citizen Perspectives on Caprivian Secession

Abstract

The case of Caprivi in Namibia represents an example of independence movements operating within the (multi-)national states in the contemporary Southern Africa. An armed secessionist uprising in August 1999, although quickly stifled by the Namibian government, revealed the singular historical roots of this movement, as well as a presently widespread popular feeling of discontent and aspiration for separate Caprivian citizenship. This article explores some key visions of the local population's experience of their membership of the Namibian state and seeks to explore the possibility – real or not – of an independent Caprivi equipped with a shared ethnic identity. The aim is to address (at least partially) the gap found in research scholarship about Caprivian secession in terms of the views and preferences of the Caprivian population itself. On the basis of ethnographic field research, it has been possible to explore popular perceptions of the events of 1999, the idea of independence, and the general feeling of neglect by the Namibian government.