Bondelswarts affair
Encyclopedia
The Bondelswarts affair was a controversial violent incident in South Africa
's League of Nations Mandate
of South West Africa
.
In 1917, the South African mandatory administration had created a tax on dogs, and increased it in 1921. The tax was rejected by the Bondelswarts, a group of Khoikhoi
, who were opposed to various policies of the new administration. They were also protecting five men for whom arrest warrants had been issued.
There is disagreement over the details of the dispute, but according to historian Neta Crawford, "most agree that in May 1922 the Bondelswarts prepared to fight, or at least to defend themselves, and the mandatory administration moved to crush what they called a rebellion of 500 to 600 people, of which 200 were said to be armed (although only about 40 weapons were captures after the Bondelswarts were crushed).
Gysbert Hofmeyr, the Mandatory Administrator, organized in 400 armed men, and sent in aircraft to bomb the Bondelswarts. Casualties included 100 Bondelswart deaths, including a few women and children. A further 468 men were either wounded or taken prisoner.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's League of Nations Mandate
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...
of South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
.
In 1917, the South African mandatory administration had created a tax on dogs, and increased it in 1921. The tax was rejected by the Bondelswarts, a group of Khoikhoi
Khoikhoi
The Khoikhoi or Khoi, in standardised Khoekhoe/Nama orthography spelled Khoekhoe, are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group, the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen . They had lived in southern Africa since the 5th century AD...
, who were opposed to various policies of the new administration. They were also protecting five men for whom arrest warrants had been issued.
There is disagreement over the details of the dispute, but according to historian Neta Crawford, "most agree that in May 1922 the Bondelswarts prepared to fight, or at least to defend themselves, and the mandatory administration moved to crush what they called a rebellion of 500 to 600 people, of which 200 were said to be armed (although only about 40 weapons were captures after the Bondelswarts were crushed).
Gysbert Hofmeyr, the Mandatory Administrator, organized in 400 armed men, and sent in aircraft to bomb the Bondelswarts. Casualties included 100 Bondelswart deaths, including a few women and children. A further 468 men were either wounded or taken prisoner.