By Staff Reporter
GOVERNOR of the re-named Zambezi Region which was Caprivi before has called his residents to brush out the minds of being called Caprivians.
“We need our people to brush their minds of saying I’m a Caprivian, I’m a Caprivian” said Zambezi Governor.
In an exclusive interview with Caprivi Vision, Honourable Lawrence Sampofu, stressed that “They should adjust to the situation, there’s nothing we got from Caprivi he is not even our forefather, who is Caprivi?”
When asked why it was decided to change the name Caprivi, he said they received a directive to change the name and that people were consulted on a suitable suggestion of their choice, as Caprivi was a colonial name given to the area by a German imperialist Count George Leo Caprivi de Montecuccoli Caprera.
“The then Caprivi Regional Council consulted the four (4) Traditional Authorities who most of them gave us almost six (6) Months to go back for an answer”, said Hon. Sampofu.
He added saying after six months, the Regional Council was called back to the Traditional Khutas and were told to go ahead with the name change as they (Khutas) consulted their subjects and agreed.
Thereafter, the Regional Council decided not to choose any for them but still rolled the issue back to the Khutas
“Zambezi, Intenge, Liyeyi and ZAKWALICO (which stands for Zambezi, Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe) were put in writing from all the Khutas and we chose Zambezi among all which appeared from each of them”, he said.
According to him, he described his people of not wanting to attend meetings most of the time as he says his Council called for a meeting to meet Church Leaders, Political Leaders and NGOs like Namibia Red Cross Society January this year but did not come in big numbers.
He said, “All of those attended the meeting but the Name Zambezi never remained behind from all suggestions”.
During the Delimitation Commission, the Governor mentioned that he went on NBC, Silozi Radio and announced the dates of the meetings, which ended up of most of the Communities not attending while some drove from Windhoek and came for it.
He explained that the reason behind the Zambezi is because it feeds the locals with fish and its water, “We have a lot of natural resources we rely on from the mighty Zambezi”, he added.
Hon. Sampofu mentioned that in 1992 just after Namibia’s Independence, the delimitation Commission came to make consultations on changing colonial names “ but people stood up and refused it the same happened in 2002,” he paused.
The first boundary of Caprivi was at Mukuvi some 65 km inside Kavango in 1992, 2002 brought regional boundaries of 2002.“ Since that time the people of this region they didn’t talk and they know about this until in 2011 is when they started calling on NBC Open line”He said.
Governor Sampofu revealed that in 2011 he received instructions to start negotiating about the name change of Caprivi. “In 1995 and 2005 people did not come together until in 2011 is when we approached the Khutas to decide and talk to their subjects and all gave us about six months until May last year and they said they were ready to change the name.”
“ The problem of this people of our region they don’t attend the meetings, you call them they only come two people, they were lot of proposal from people and some came up with name like Litapi “ From all our Traditional Khutas they suggested the name Zambezi that’s why we proposed to delimitation Commission”
“I must make this clear that it was not the Regional Council but it was the Khutas who proposed and all people were called by their respective chiefs”
Zambezi Governor further pointed out that, “We proposed to have Bwabwata as a Constituency but it was not recommended by the president, the son community also raised the issue of having the constituency” He lamented.
“The boundary did not change only the name change,” he further said.
When caught up for clarifications on the matter regarding the name change of the Caprivi region after the official announcement made by the Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba on August 8, this year. Presidential Affairs Minister and Attorney General Dr. Albert Kawana responded, “When I was born it was known as Zambezi, we decided to get a neutral name, not Itenge, Liyeyi and Linyanti”
According to Dr. Kawana the changes were made after consulting all traditional leaders of the former Caprivi region, as it was good for people to get rid of the colonial name.
“I will start writing about the history of Zambezi next month in New Era Newspaper” quashed the Presidential Affairs Minister who denied that he ‘s not going to re-write the history “ I’m not going to re-write the history, even your newspaper must change to Zambezi Vision otherwise I will not visit your office” he furthers.
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