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Ovaherero Tribe of BotswanaThe Ovaherero nation is split into three main groups: the Herero who live mostly in Namibia, the Mbanderu who mainly live in Botswana and the Ovahimba who live in northern Namibia and Angola. Although the majority of these people are in fact Mbanderu, the name 'Herero' is far more widely known. Many Ovaherero are realitive newcomers who fled from a war of extermination perpetrated against them by the Germans in 1904/1905. They settled in the area to the west of the Okavango and in the south, particularly in the Lake Ngami region. They had lost all their possessions and had to work as servants for the Batawana. Being proud, determined and pastorial people, they rebuilt their herds and are now major cattle owners. Among these people, a man who does not own his own beasts has no standing in society and is even expected to become a servant of a cattle owner. Traditionally, they worshipped their ancestors. Records of ancestors and their burial grounds were passed on orally from generation to generation. Although not as important as the tribal ancestors, they also believed in a higher being. Today the old religion is hardly ever practised and has generally been replaced by Christianity. Some Ovaherero object to having their photograhs taken on religious grounds. |