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Biography of Samuel MahereroName: Samuel MahereroBirth Date: c. 1854 Death Date: 1923 Place of Birth: N/A Nationality: Herero Gender: Male Occupations: chieftain Samuel Maherero Samuel Maherero (ca. 1854-1923) was the Supreme Chief of the Herero nation, who led his people in revolt against German occupation of Herero lands.The scramble for Africa by the European powers at the close of the 19th century had tragic consequences for the Herero people of South West Africa. In its quest for a presence in southern Africa, the German imperial government claimed territory along the Atlantic Coast, north of British- and Afrikaner-settled South Africa, and south of Portuguese Angola. The Germans claimed it as German South West Africa (now the independent country of Namibia), and German interests vied for land with the cattle-herding Herero and Nama peoples of the territory. The settlers' demands for land and cattle and the ruthless policies of a German military leader resulted in the almost complete annihilation of the Herero people under the leadership of paramount chief Samuel Maherero.In 1904, when Samuel Maherero led …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…simultaneously against the hated German yoke."Following Witbooi's death, Von Trotha left South West Africa. With Von Trotha gone and the Germans realizing they could not win the war against the Nama, they finally negotiated an end to the war in 1907. By then half the Nama population of 20,000 had died.Samuel Maherero and his three sons survived the desert. They made their way to British territory and eventually settled at Lake Ngami in Botswana. Samuel Maherero died in exile in 1923. His remains were returned to South West Africa, and he was buried with his grandfather and father in Okahandja. Every year, the Herero gather at the grave site to commemorate their leaders. Further Reading Drechsler, Horst. Let Us Die Fighting. Akademie-Verlag, 1966.Jenny, Hans. South West Africa: Land of Extremes. Southwest Africa Scientific Society. 1976.Lau, Brigitte. Namibia in Jonker Afrikaner's Time. Namibia Archives, 1987.Soggot, David. Namibia: The Violent Heritage. Rex Collings, 1986. |