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47-678: The region contains the western half of the Caprivi Strip . In the north, Kavango East borders the Cuando Cubango Province of Angola , and in the south and southeast the North-West District of Botswana. Domestically, it borders the following regions: Because of its rather high rainfall compared to most other parts of Namibia and its location on the Kavango River after which it is named, this region has agricultural potential for

94-548: A garrison for a long time, Katima Mulilo still shows signs of its military past. In the city centre was the South African Defence Force military base and almost every house had a bomb shelter. The town benefited from the military presence in terms of infrastructure and employment, and there are still a number of military bases surrounding the town. Since the opening of the Katima Mulilo Bridge that spans

141-563: A few days. 17°52′12″S 23°01′48″E  /  17.8700°S 23.0300°E  / -17.8700; 23.0300 Katima Mulilo Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia . It had 46,401 inhabitants in 2023, and comprises two electoral constituencies , Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban . It is located on the B8 national road on

188-485: A governmental low-cost housing company that drew development here). The Lozi people are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group native to southern Africa . They consist of several tribes, including the Bafwe , Bambukushu , Basubia , Batotela , and Bayeyi , each with its own dialect and traditional authority . These tribes share the same Lozi culture and traditions. Silozi serves as the standard language that unifies them and

235-661: A mineral expedition in 1909 proved unsuccessful, Germany contemplated exchanging the strip for some other British territory, such as Walvis Bay . When that territory was transferred to the Cape Colony by the British in 1910, Germany was stuck with Caprivi for the rest of its colonial history. In 1976, the South African administration established the self-governing Eastern Caprivi homeland with its own flag, national anthem, and coat of arms. It remained under direct de facto control of

282-661: Is Katima Mulilo , located at the point where the Zambezi reaches the Strip. When Namibia was a German colony, the Caprivi Strip was known in German as Caprivizipfel . Before colonisation, it was known as Itenge . During a short-lived secession attempt around the year 2000, the name Itenge was used by the separatists. It is also sometimes called the Okavango Panhandle . Inhabitants of

329-413: Is a geographic salient protruding from the northeastern corner of Namibia . It is bordered by Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. Namibia, Botswana and Zambia meet at a single point at the eastern tip of the Strip, which also comes within 150 m (490 ft) of Zimbabwe , thus nearly forming a quadripoint . Botswana and Zambia share a 150-metre (490 ft) border at

376-406: Is a lack of street lights and sewerage. Many residents use the bushes for lack of toilet facilities, and there have been many outbreaks of diseases such as diarrhea . The town has been affected by corruption, financial mismanagement, and infighting between councillors. Water supply has been unstable because of debt to the national water supplier, NamWater . Katima Mulilo is the terminal town of

423-603: Is a stronghold of Namibia's ruling SWAPO party. It won the 2010 local authority election with 2,197 votes, followed by the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) with 473 votes. SWAPO also won the 2015 local authority election by a landslide, gaining six seats and 1,875 votes. The remaining seat went to the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) which gained 163 votes. SWAPO also won the 2020 local authority election . It obtained 1,530 votes and gained four seats and

470-628: Is named the Lewis informal settlement. The town had only 575 inhabitants at that time but grew to over 5,000 by 1978. In 1971 the area around Katima Mulilo got involved in the South African Border War . As in World War II, it was a strategically important location, this time due to troop transports into and out of Zambia and Angola. The settlement also was at the centre of the Caprivi conflict in

517-683: Is of politico-strategic military importance. During the Rhodesian Bush War (1964–1979), South West African People's Organization 's and Caprivi African National Union 's (CANU) liberation war against the South African occupation (1965–1994) and the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), the Strip saw continual military action and multiple incursions by various armed forces using the Strip as a corridor to access other territories. The Caprivi conflict involved an armed conflict in Namibia between

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564-557: Is widely used in educational materials, media such as television and radio, and government communications. Additionally, Silozi plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting cultural heritage, serving as a common medium for cultural practices and ceremonies. Additionally, there is a population of San , specifically the Khwe people , residing in Bwabwata in the western part of the region. The town's coat of arms, still very similar to that used by

611-519: The 2020 regional election SWAPO was still the strongest party but its support dropped to 62% of the popular vote, and it lost Rundu Rural to an independent candidate . There is a particular dearth of north-south roads in the Region, apart from the Rundu- Grootfontein main road. Rundu has a small airstrip to accommodate medium-sized tourist or cargo aircraft in daylight only. The poor condition of

658-690: The Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA), a rebel group aiming for the secession of the Caprivi Strip led by Mishake Muyongo , and the Namibian government. Its main eruption occurred on 2 August 1999 when the CLA launched an attack in Katima Mulilo, occupying the state-run radio station and attacking a police station, the Wenela border post, and an army base. Namibian armed forces quashed the attempt at secession within

705-411: The Caprivi government , depicts these tribes as two elephants facing each other, symbolising unity and peaceful coexistence of the tribal chiefs . Katima Mulilo has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSh ), bordering on a dry-winter humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ). Almost all rainfall occurs from November to March, when the weather is hot and humid although substantially moderated by altitude. In

752-600: The Capuchin Order . Today there are a number of schools in Katima Mulilo such as Katima High School, Caprivi Secondary School, Kizito Secondary School, Ngweze Secondary School, Mavuluma Secondary School and many primary and junior secondary schools. Katima Mulilo has two institutes of tertiary education, the Zambezi Vocational Center and a campus of the University of Namibia (UNAM) for teacher training, formerly

799-534: The Chobe River was the thalweg , the bona fide international boundary. This was important, as, depending on the decision, a large island (known as Kasikili or Sedudu , by Namibia and Botswana respectively) would fall into one or the other's national territory. The Botswana government considered the island as an integral part of the Chobe National Park , whereas the Namibian government, and many inhabitants of

846-470: The Kavango Region into two. Then-president Hifikepunye Pohamba enacted the recommendations. As a result, two new regions of Kavango East and Kavango West were created. As of 2020, Kavango East had 80,450 registered voters. The region is subdivided into six electoral constituencies : In the 2015 regional elections SWAPO won in all six constituencies and obtained 79% ( 2010 : 73%) of all votes. In

893-554: The Zambezi ). From early days (and before the advent of fire-lighting matches), there was river transport by barge (propelled by paddlers) along the Zambezi from Livingstone to Sesheke , onwards past the Ngonye Falls at Sioma, where an attempt was made in about 1905 to bypass the Falls with a canal. Barges were unloaded and dragged by oxen round the Falls. The route continued to Mongu ,

940-482: The 1990s, an armed conflict between the Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA), a rebel group working for the secession of the Caprivi Strip, and the Namibian government. In the early hours of 2 August 1999, CLA launched an attack occupying the state-run radio station and attacking a police station, the Wenela border post, and an army base. A state of emergency was declared in the province, and the government arrested alleged CLA supporters. The oldest suburbs are Nghweeze ,

987-616: The Caprivi Strip and the island of Heligoland in the North Sea . The river later proved unnavigable and inaccessible to the Indian Ocean due to the location of the Victoria Falls and more falls, a fact that was possibly already known to the British side during the negotiations. Caprivi itself was remote and inaccessible during the rainy season, and the Germans did not find use for it. After

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1034-547: The Caprivi Strip are Bwabwata National Park , Mudumu National Park and Nkasa Rupara National Park . Local communities have organised themselves into communal area conservancies and community forests. People work closely with the Namibian Government to jointly manage natural resources through several programmes set up between the Namibian Government and various donor parties. Caprivi was named after German Chancellor Leo von Caprivi (in office 1890–1894), who negotiated

1081-446: The Caprivi Strip speak a number of African languages, mostly members of the Bantu language family, with speakers of Mbarakwena [Xu-Khoisan], Hukwe a San language, in the northwest of the strip near the border with Angola. The Bantu languages include Yeyi (or 'Yei' or 'Yeeyi'), Mbukushu , Gciriku (or 'Dciriku'), Fwe , Totela , and Subiya . The Silozi language is a lingua Franca of

1128-703: The Caprivi Strip, and because of more waterfalls downstream such as Kariba Gorge and Cahora Bassa . Within Namibia, the Strip is divided administratively between the Kavango East and Zambezi regions. It is crossed by the Okavango River . The Cuando River forms part of its border with Botswana, and the Zambezi River forms a part of its border with Zambia. The width of the strip varies from about 32 km (20 mi) to 105 km (65 mi). Its largest settlement

1175-558: The Caprivi Strip, especially in Katima Mulilo , where some residents speak Lozi , a language of western Zambia , as a lingua franca . Many also speak English, while Afrikaans has almost disappeared. The area is rich in natural wildlife and has mineral resources. Of particular interest to the government of Namibia is that it gives access to the Zambezi River and is thereby a potential trading route to Africa's East Coast. However,

1222-563: The South African government in Pretoria until 1980, when its administration was transferred to South West Africa's administration in Windhoek. In the late 20th century, the Caprivi Strip attracted attention when Namibia and Botswana took a long-standing dispute over its southern boundary to the International Court of Justice . The core of the territorial dispute concerned which channel of

1269-619: The Trans–Caprivi Highway, and the highway together with its extension to Zambia is called the Trans-Caprivi Corridor . The Trans–Caprivi Highway was opened in 1999, and the bridge to Sesheke, and with it the entire Trans-Caprivi Corridor, in 2004. Katima Mulilo is not yet connected to the Namibian railway network . In October 2007, a proposal was announced for a railway connection between Namibia and Zambia which would pass through

1316-469: The Zambezi River and connects the Zambian Copperbelt with the Namibian deep sea harbour at Walvis Bay in 2004, Katima Mulilo has become a boom town that attracts significant investment. This development has, however, also fanned illegal business activities, and driven the establishment of shanty towns to an extent that endangers social stability. The town features an Export Processing Zone and

1363-700: The acquisition of the land in an 1890 exchange with the United Kingdom. Caprivi arranged for the Caprivi strip to be annexed to German South West Africa in order to give Germany access to the Zambezi River and a route to Africa's east coast, where the colony of German East Africa (now part of Tanzania ) was situated. The transfer of territory was a part of the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty of 1890, in which Germany gave up its interest in Zanzibar in return for

1410-477: The administrative capital of Barotseland , and northwards to the settlement of Balovale (now Zambezi ) in the North West of Zambia, at 13°33′04″S 23°06′54″E  /  13.551°S 23.115°E  / -13.551; 23.115 . When the barge reached Katima Mulilo, the fire was extinguished (but embers kept), and the barge was unloaded and then dragged empty up the rapids, and re-loaded before continuing

1457-444: The banks of the Zambezi River in the Caprivi Strip in lush riverine vegetation with tropical birds and monkeys . The town receives annual average rainfall of 654 millimetres (25.7 in). The nearest Namibian town to Katima Mulilo is Rundu , about 500 km away. About 40 km east of Katima Mulilo lies the village of Bukalo , where the road to Ngoma branches off and joins Namibia to Botswana . Established and run as

Kavango East - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-399: The crossing of Kazungula . The territory was acquired by then- German South West Africa in order to provide access to the Zambezi River and consequently a route to the east coast of the continent and German East Africa . The route was later found not to be navigable because of the location of the Victoria Falls , one of the world's largest waterfalls, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) east of

1551-450: The cultivation of a variety of crops, as well as for organised forestry and agro-forestry, which stimulate furniture making and related industries. Kavango East and its sister region Kavango West are nevertheless the poorest regions in Namibia. The Fourth Delimitation Commission of Namibia, responsible for recommending on the country's administrative divisions suggested in August 2013 to split

1598-490: The eastern Caprivi Strip, held that not only was the island part of the original German–British agreement, but generations of inhabitants had used it for seasonal grazing, for reed-gathering, and as a burial site. In December 1999, the International Court of Justice ruled that the main channel, and hence the international boundary, lay to the north of the island, thus making the island part of Botswana. The Caprivi Strip

1645-462: The first shop in the Caprivi Strip in Katima Mulilo; the settlement that surrounded the shop was subsequently named after him. In the 1950s transport on the Zambezi River was established and allowed connection to the train service at Livingstone . The M'pacha Airfield, today Katima Mulilo Airport , was constructed in 1965 at a cost of 65 million Rand , an astronomical amount at that time when 2 Rand roughly equalled 1 Pound sterling . A police station

1692-471: The former Blacks' township, and Katima Mulilo Proper , the area restricted to Whites during the apartheid era. Butterfly , Cowboy , Choto and Mahohoma are registered informal settlements of Katima, further parts of town are named Nambweza, Soweto ( So uth– We stern To wnships, a reminiscence of the famous suburb of Johannesburg ), New Look, Mabuluma, Lyambai, Bebi, Greenwell Matongo, Macaravan East and West, and NHE (from National Housing Enterprises ,

1739-476: The journey – but not before the fire was re-lit. On 28 January 1935, the administrative centre of the Caprivi Strip was moved from Schuckmannsburg to Katima Mulilo. This date is assumed as the foundation date of Katima Mulilo. The regional office, the only brick-and-mortar building at Katima Mulilo at a time when the area consisted exclusively of pristine forests, was built under a giant Baobab situated near today's SWAPO Party regional offices. In present times

1786-630: The largest open market in Namibia. There is an important international electricity inter–link facility, the Caprivi Link Inter–Connector ; its inauguration has improved the power supply to the town. The Zambezi Waterfront Tourism project is currently under construction. The Caprivi Vision , a newspaper from and for the Caprivi, is published in town. Since being proclaimed a town on 2 October 1999, development has been steady but Katima Mulilo does not yet compare to more established towns and cities in Namibia. Few streets are tarred, and there

1833-563: The long dry season between April and October the weather remains hot although less humid at the beginning and finish, but very warm weather with chilly mornings occurs at the middle of this dry season during the Southern Hemisphere winter. "Ministry of Works & Transport: Tabulation of Climate Statistics for Selected Stations in Namibia" (PDF) . 2012. Katima Mulilo is governed by a town council that has seven seats. Zambezi Region, whose administrative capital Katima Mulilo is,

1880-695: The majority in the town council. One seat each went to the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM, the new name of the DTA), the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC, an opposition party formed in August 2020) and to the National Democratic Party (NDP), which came in at 448, 252, and 147 votes, respectively. Before Katima Mulilo was officially founded missionaries already ran schools in the area. The Seventh–day Adventists operated one, as did

1927-531: The regional office again, this time to Pretoria , in 1939. Given its proximity to important transport routes, particularly the railway bridge at Victoria Falls , the location of Katima Mulilo became strategically important in the Second World War which broke out soon afterwards. All military supplies, people, and goods had to be flown in. The town's first car arrived in 1940 and belonged to the air strip operator. In 1940, William "Bill" Finaughty established

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1974-553: The roads and the long distances had a negative effect on tourism; this situation was improved by the completion of the Trans–Caprivi Highway . A major highway connecting Rundu to western Kavango and the Ohangwena Region is under construction. 18°20′S 20°35′E  /  18.333°S 20.583°E  / -18.333; 20.583 Caprivi Strip The Caprivi Strip , also known simply as Caprivi ,

2021-523: The town. The line would join Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo, then run for 130 km to Mulobezi with an 80 km upgrade of the line to Livingstone. The town is served by Katima Mulilo Airport , situated about 18 km to the southwest, which is serviced by regular flights from the capital Windhoek . The name Katima Mulilo comes from the SiLozi for quench the fire , referring to nearby rapids in

2068-552: The tree is known as the Toilet Tree because of a rest room carved into it. Katima Mulilo was very sparsely populated at that time. It had a missionary school run by the Seventh-day Adventists , and the small settlements were connected only by sleigh tracks. Without any roads nor other infrastructure it was difficult to administer the Caprivi Strip from here. The South African administration therefore decided to shift

2115-520: The vagaries of the river level, various rapids, the presence of the Victoria Falls downstream and continued political uncertainty in the region have made such use of the Caprivi Strip difficult. However, it may be used for ecotourism in the future. Within Namibia the Caprivi Strip provides significant habitat for the critically endangered African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus ). It is a corridor for African elephant moving from Botswana and Namibia into Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. National parks found in

2162-602: Was erected in 1961. Katima Mulilo became a segregated town in 1965 when the erection of the Nghweeze township began. The South African administration was unhappy with the Mafulo informal settlement where members of the Caprivi African National Union (CANU) were staying and conducting political activism. As a response to this development, Nghweeze (derived from totela language:which literally means "stab me") township

2209-583: Was established to enable some degree of control over Blacks by only allowing local workers and their families to take up residence. At the same time the central parts of Katima Mulilo were declared the Katima Mulilo Proper residential area and restricted to Whites. Contract workers from the company Lewis Construction from Salisbury (today's Harare ) in Southern Rhodesia (today's Zimbabwe ) that built Nghweeze camped in an area that for this heritage

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