Seeking to return?, Herero exiles 1904-1923

From the mid-19th century onwards large numbers of Herero have lived in ethnically homogeneous communities beyond the confines of central Namibia. It has long been argued that these Herero constantly struggled to return to their homeland. This paper argues that, though certain groups may at varying times have sought to return, this did not hold true for all Herero. The paper tracks and details the varying specific historical courses of the various Herero communities. The first section of the paper discusses how Herero groups came to be established outside the confines of Hereroland in Namibia. The second discusses the sociopolitical developments of Herero communities in Botswana and South Africa; the third discusses why Herero failed to return to Namibia between 1904, the year of the Herero German war, and 1923, the year of Samuel Maharero's death in exile in Botswana