Baster

The Basters (also known as Baasters, Rehobothers or Rehoboth Basters) are a Namibian ethnic group descended from Afrikaners and indigenous tribes which formerly resided in the Dutch Cape Colony.Since the second half of the nineteenth century, the Baster community has been concentrated in central Namibia, in and around the town of Rehoboth.It is closely related to the Cape Coloured and Griqua ethnic groups in South Africa. The name Baster is derived from bastaard, the Dutch word for "bastard" (or "crossbreed").While some people consider this term demeaning, the Basters use it as a "proud name", claiming their ancestry and history, treating it as a cultural category in spite of the negative connotation.Their 6th Kaptein is John McNab, elected in 1999; he has no official status under the Namibian constitution.The Chief's Council of Rehoboth was replaced with a local town council under the new government. The current numbers of Basters remain unclear (figures between 20,000 and 40,000 are estimated).Survival of the Baster culture and identity were called into question in modern Namibia.Modern Namibia's politics and public life is largely dominated by the ethnic Owambo people, who constitute nearly half of the population, and their culture.Baster politicians and activists have called Owambo policies oppressive towards their community.