Opuwo

History

The name Opuwo was given in the 1920s by the commissioner of Ondangwa, , the grandson of Carl Hugo Hahn, who came in search of land to build an office. Upon his arrival, he asked the local headman to give him land where he could build an office. The headman gave him a small plot, and when the headman tried to give him more land, Hahn responded, saying, "Ohopoho (it’s enough for me). I don't want any more land". The word Ohopoho was changed to Opuwo in 1974 due to orthographic reform. The residents of Opuwo called it Otjihinamaparero at the time, and some still call it that. The first office to be established in the Kaokoland area was the colonial administrative office in Swartbooisdrift on the banks of the Kunene River. This was the administrative centre of the area from 1925 to 1939. Afterwards, administrative control of the area shifted to Ohopoho, later called Opuwo. The police station in Swartbooisdrift was run by Sergeant Herbert, and he aimed to receive the Angola Boers who had trekked to Angola out of refusal to accept the British government in South Africa. Sergeant Basson took over the office at Swartbooisdrift and excavated Opuwo's first borehole. Basson had the nickname “Katjiriamakaja” (a person who eats tobacco).