Namibia and its Southern Neighbours: 100 Years of Water Governance Disputes

By: David Shoombe

 

Though some of Namibia’s most capable diplomats, such as the late Theo-Ben Gurirab, Hidipo Hamutenya, and Hage Geingob managed to find common ground with their counterparts from neighbouring nations, the developments around the Orange River remain a point of contention.

 

While said diplomats tactfully, strategically, and successfully renegotiated the return of Walvis Bay in 1994 and managed to amicably bury the hatchet with Botswana after losing the Kasikili/Sedudu Island case at the International Court of Justice in 1999, disputes over water governance between Namibia, South Africa, and Lesotho persist.