The Baster people of Rehoboth occupy a special position in Namibia's colourful mix of peoples. And not just because they are considered the most conservative ethnic group in the country. This term, which sounds like a swear word to German ears, is used with great pride by the people themselves. For centuries they were considered a kind of closed society. A characterisation that still applies to the internal cohesion of the Bastergemeente (Baster community) to this day. Their external relations have adapted more to modern times. Today there are probably around 30,000 Basters who, like their ancestors, maintain a strict patriarchal order and a typically western lifestyle. To understand how these people see themselves, you have to take a look at their history.

When the Dutch landed at the Cape of Good Hope in the middle of the 17th century and began white settlement in South Africa, there were hardly any women willing to undertake this arduous journey. So the new arrivals sought out local Khosian women. The result was mixed-race children, so-called bastards (Baster). Depending on their colour, they were counted more as part of the white community or as Coloureds. But they always wanted to be seen as white and adopted the language and religion of the first settlers. The old family names were proudly preserved and passed on over the centuries. By the middle of the 19th century, over 5,000 people were calling themselves Baster.

To avoid confrontations with the newly arriving whites, they moved ever further north and in 1871 reached Rehoboth, where they leased or bought land from the Nama. They gave themselves their own constitution and elected Hermanus van Wyk as their captain. During the German colonial period they always stood loyally behind the colonial rulers and even concluded a protection and friendship treaty with the German Empire. In this way they maintained their relative independence. When Hermanus van Wyk died in 1905 and the Germans no longer needed the Basters as loyal partners, the colonial power promptly abolished the captaincy status. This led to tensions. But the urge for independence remained. In 1924 the Basters tried again, this time against the South African "protecting power", to force their independence. Without success. It was not until 1979 that Rehoboth became a state within a state again. With the creation of homelands they were granted a large part of the self-determination they had sought. Today, 14 years after Namibia's independence, there are still lawsuits and other disputes between the Basters and the government over the 100,000 hectares of Basterland that have been declared national territory, as well as over questions of self-government. Even after 150 years of struggle for self-determination, the Basters have not given up their pride. Anyone who does not just drive through Rehoboth can see this for themselves.