by Ronald Imbayago
It is a double for Namibia this month as the nation celebrates its fourth independence anniversary and the return of the country’s only deep-water port, Walvis Bay, by South Africa.
Namibia attained its independence on 21 March 1990, but only got its enclave Walvis Bay, expected to realise about US$75 million a year in fish exports, on 1 March this year. Although the Bay had remained under South African rule because of some historical reasons, it has now been transferred to where it belongs. Geographically, it belongs to Namibia.
With this present “mini-independence” it is now a complete sovereignty for this arid south-west African country. “With Walvis Bay in our control, we can proudly say Namibia is now a complete sovereign State,” chanted one young activist. The hand-over is a cause for celebration, not only for Namibia, but the southern African region as a whole. Its re-integration into Namibia will boost trade among the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries, but to benefit most from this facility, are the people of Namibia.
This historic development was met with a rousing welcome when the South African flag was lowered and the Namibian flag hoisted at midnight on 28 February. To witness this momentous occasion were
Namibian President Sam Nujoma, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Ghanaian President, Flight-Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, South Africa’s Defence and Justice Minister Kobie Coetzee, and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) secretary-general, Salim Ahmed Salim, among other dignitaries.
President Nujoma was quoted by a South African daily newspaper, The Star, as saying his government would seize the initiative in establishing a free trade zone on the liberated Bay. Rated as the ninth most efficient port in the world, Walvis Bay, with a free trade zone, will see an increase in trade as both local and foreign investors on the zone would not pay any taxes.
“The zone must be a true tax haven for those who want to set up enterprises here,” said Nujoma. Several countries in the region will rush to use this important facility, resulting in a boom in trade especially among SADC countries. The Bay is now a strategic gate to some emerging markets of southern and west Africa as well as those of Latin America. The port’s nearness to SADC countries and its reduced trade tariffs will give it an outstanding advantage over other ports in the region.
The Namibian government has already embarked on multi-million dollar Trans-Kalahari and Trans Caprivi highways, which would link the rest of the SADC countries with Walvis Bay. The highways are expected to be completed by next year.
Namibia’s major imports, such as oil products, are shipped through Walvis Bay, and the same barbour could also handle a growing share of southern Africa’s trade, particularly for Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The counsellor at the Namibian High Commission in Harare, Usko Shivute, said in an interview that the re-integration of Walvis Bay, would result in a boost in trade among SADC countries which would use the enclave as a major trade route. Namibia is rich in minerals and fisheries, and the latter appears to be slowly overtaking the former.
“With further development of the fishing industry, it is foreseeable that within a few years, the country’s fishing industry will overtake the mining sector as an employer,” said Shivute adding that fish is increasingly becoming important to the Namibian economy and has created opportunities for more jobs.
However, foreign ships had been ruthlessly plundering stocks since before independence. Last year the French government gave, among other equipment, a Cessna F406 aircraft code-named Sea Eagle fitted with specialised equipment for scanning the seas. The aircraft will fight against foreign fish pirates bent on depleting the country’s fish.
Namibia’s leading daily newspaper, The Namibian, says the 1990 government policy of curtailing quotas has paid dividends earlier than was expected. In 1990 alone, around 240 000 tonnes of fish were harvested, and by 1992 the quotas had shot up to over 650 000 tonnes. Shivute says the quotas are expected to continue increasing.
The re-integration comes at a time when Namibia is stepping up campaigns to attract foreign investors to boost an economy seriously affected by recession and the pull out of South Africa. However, the government is optimistic that the re-integration will have positive effects on the Namibian economy.
The fishing industry currently employs more than 9 000 people of which around 2 500 are contract workers.
At independence, the industry employed slightly less than 6 000 workers. With the full control of the Bay, the industry is expected to generate employment for up to 15 000 Namibians within the next five to eight years. The industry’s fixed assets, at present, are estimated to be US$92 million, and with more new investments, the assets are expected to increase.
The return of Walvis Bay is particularly a welcome development to thousands of workers, most of whom were being exploited by their employers three years after the rest of the country achieved independence.
The Bay, with a population of about 26 000 people, of whom an estimated 5 000 – 6000 are South Africans, was annexed by Britain in 1878 on behalf of the Cape Colony.
When British colonies in South Africa were unified in 1910 by the South Africa Constitution Act, the harbour became part of the Union of South Africa. Namibia has now inherited all facilities on the enclave in a normal process of decolonization. Now with the return of Walvis Bay, all sectors of the Namibian economy are expected to grow, and its 1.5 million people are set to benefit. (SARDC)
