The Rehoboth Basters were a UNPO member between 2007 and 2019. 

The Rehoboth Basters were represented at UNPO by their Captains Council, the traditional leadership institution composed of an historically elected Captain and several councilors. Their self-governance, historically grounded in their Paternal Laws (“Vaderlike Wette”) of 1872, has been severely eroded since Namibian independence. 

One of the central grievances is land dispossession: at independence, much of their ancestral territory was re-registered under the Namibian government, and self-government was abolished. The Captains Council argued that their traditional authority is not formally recognised by the state, and that their rights to communal land have been marginalised. Land distribution remains contentious: in 2014, the Council allocated over 1,000 plots to community members, citing the Paternal Laws, but the town council challenged this as illegal under current Namibian law. Moreover, their key leader, Kaptein John McNab, has repeatedly denounced the loss of sacred sites, cultural erosion, under-recognition of their traditional governance, and systemic discrimination. Language and cultural rights are also threatened. The Captains Council and community representatives have raised concerns that their use of Afrikaans is not respected in government communications. In submissions to international bodies, they argued this undermines their cultural identity and violates minority rights. 

The Rehoboth Basters are a distinct community formed historically by the mixing of European (mainly Dutch, German) settlers and indigenous Khoikhoi populations. They speak primarily Afrikaans, and also use English; Christianity (especially Protestantism) is the dominant religion. Their identity is structured around traditional governance under the Paternal Laws, which established a Captain and a council, as well as a Volksraad (people’s council) in their early self-governing community. These laws reflect a democratic tradition: the Basters elected leadership and had institutional structures for managing community affairs including land, legal matters, and policy.

Their economy historically relied on pastoralism, small-scale farming, and managing their own community institutions (schools, community centers). Culturally, they maintain a strong sense of distinctiveness, shaped by their mixed ancestry, Afrikaans language, community rituals, and remembrance of their own self-governed past.

The Rehoboth Basters trace their origins to a group that migrated from the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa) in the late 19th century (around 1868), driven by discrimination and a desire for autonomy. In 1873, they reportedly acquired land around what is now Rehoboth, Namibia, from the Swartbooi leaders, with the consent of local chiefs. They established a constitution known as Paternal Laws in 1872, which set out their governance system: an elected Captain, a Captain’s Council, and a people’s council (Volksraad). Under both German colonial rule and later South African administration, they maintained a measure of self-governance. However, in 1924, South African authorities curtailed their autonomy: Proclamation No. 31 transferred many of the Captain’s and Council’s powers to colonial magistrates.

In 1976, South Africa passed legislation (Act 56) granting the Basters limited “self-government” based on their Paternal Laws, with elected leadership and a council. But with Namibia’s independence in 1990, their autonomous status was removed. Their communal lands and properties (farms, houses, institutional assets) were seized or re-registered in the name of the state. The Rehoboth area was also politically re-defined: it was split and incorporated into two larger administrative regions (Khomas and Hardap), which the Basters argue weakens their political representation. On 10 October 1992, the Captains Council and their People’s Assembly declared the Basters as an Indigenous people in Namibia, but this claim lacks formal recognition by the Namibian government. Throughout the post-independence period, the Captains Council has engaged in legal, political, and international advocacy (including via UNPO) to reclaim recognition, land rights, and cultural autonomy.