Uibis

Uibis, also Uibes, is an informal settlement in the Hardap Region in southern central Namibia. It is situated on Hutup River 100 km from Mariental on the gravel road between Gibeon and Maltahöhe.

History

On 21 December 1904, in the first year of the Herero and Namaqua War, Uibis was the scene of a battle between the Bethanie Nama people and the German colonisers of South-West Africa.[1] The Germans won the battle; the inhabitants fled the area.[2]

In 1971 the South African administration formed tribal homelands known as bantustans. Uisib became part of Namaland, forming its most western point. Members of the ǀKhowesin (Witbooi Orlam) tribe were forcibly resettled here. They established a school in 1978 and form the core of Uisib's community until today.[2]

Development and infrastructure

Uisib is marked by poverty and neglect. Although the settlement has been electrified around 2010 residents cannot afford to pay for that service. Water is supplied by a borehole equipped with a wind pump. When there is no wind, water supply is interrupted. The majority of the inhabitants are elderly people surviving on old-age grants.[2]

The roads connecting Uisib to neighbouring towns are poorly maintained. Commercial activities include gardening in the riverbed of the ephemeral Hutup River, and small livestock farming.[2]

References
  1. Dierks, Klaus. "Chronology of Namibian History, 1904". Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  2. Sasman, Catherine (11 January 2012). "Uibis residents feel forgotten and neglected". The Namibian.

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