Settling the postcolonial: Yehezkel (Ezekiel) Lein, ‘Afrikaners in postcolonial Namibia: contiguous settler colonialism and the question of endurance’, National Identities, 2026 | settler colonial studies blog

Settling the postcolonial: Yehezkel (Ezekiel) Lein, ‘Afrikaners in postcolonial Namibia: contiguous settler colonialism and the question of endurance’, National Identities, 2026

02Feb26

Abstract: This article examines the endurance of white Afrikaners in postcolonial Namibia. It advances two theoretical hypotheses: first, that settler projects in territories contiguous to metropoles follow distinct dynamics, introducing the concept of contiguous settler colonialism; second, that settlers’ vulnerability in postcolonial states tend to generate a strong sense of place, encouraging their persistence. Based on interviews with Namibian Afrikaners, the study identifies three pillars of this sense of place: entitlement to commercial farms, a hybrid ethnic identity sustained by semi-autonomous institutions, and an imaginary of Namibia as peaceful and tolerant. The findings highlight spatial relations between colonies and metropoles as a key factor in shaping varied settler colonial trajectories.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Closed