On becoming a chief in the Kaokoveld, colonial Namibia, 1916 -25

In 1916 a warlord named Oorlog - 'war', in Afrikaans - moved into the Kaokoveld in the far north-west of what is now Namibia, and drove off the original inhabitants. Shortly after, Oorlog was formally recognized as a chief by the newly established South African administration and elevated to the highest position of power in the Kaokoveld. This article, through investigating how Oorlog came to be elevated to this position of power, explores issues of colonial governance and personal relationships. By focusing on the micropolitics of the Kaokoveld, it emphasizes how interpersonal relationships - not bureaucratic structures - were of crucial importance in the establishment and maintenance of early colonial rule in Africa.