Title: How the Port of Walvis Bay became Namibian
Author: Nils Bruzelius
Genre: Local History of Namibia
Publisher: Kuiseb Publishers
Windhoek, Namibia 2017
ISBN 9789994576487 / ISBN 978-99945-76-48-7
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 144 pages
Nils Bruzelius, author of "How the Port of Walvis Bay became Namibian", was very actively engaged in Namibia for a quarter century as a consultant and then advisor to the government on ports and broader transport infrastructure, operations and policy. He has drawn on this wealth of experience and direct involvement in many key debates and episodes to write this book, which is cited as a key source on the formative era of independent Namibia in a field often overlooked by political (auto-)biographers and historians. What began as some broad reminiscences written for Bruzelius's children to explain what he was doing during his prolonged absences a world away from home, gradually evolved into what became "How the Port of Walvis Bay became Namibian". It is a moot point whether Nils Bruzelius would ever have commenced the project had writing a book been the initial intention. Nevertheless, Namibians, those with an interest in the country and even those seeking lessons or comparisons with post-independence transport and infrastructure policy evolution elsewhere in Africa and beyond, should be immensely grateful that he did. This book is the only written document on what actually happened when Walvis Bay and the port became Namibian. The emphasis of the narrative is on the port in the enclave, its main asset.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Foreword
The Background to My Story
How It All Began
The First Visit to Walvis Bay
An Unexpected Telephone Call
Why Me?
Preparing the Study on Transport and Communications
Drafting the Terms of Reference
Lifting the Restriction on Travel to South Africa and Namibia
The Rest of the Year 1989
Reporting on Our Work
What Happened Then?
About Walvis Bay
Introduction
Natural and Geographical Setting
Historical Setting
Developing the Port of Walvis Bay
Namibia During the Period of South African Rule
The Conflict over Walvis Bay
The Port and City of Walvis Bay in 1990
The Main Messages in STCN
The Transfer of Assets before or at Independence
Walvis Bay
The Build up to Confrontation over the Port of Walvis Bay
TransNamib Limited
The Period March 1990 to August 1993
August 1993
The Race to 28 February 1994
The Struggle over Who Should Own and Run the Port
The Struggle over the Port Legislation
The Struggle over the Staffing and Setting up of the Namibian Ports Authority
And the Main Struggle, the One over the Assets
The Fix
Developments up to 28th February
The Final Day 28th February
What Happened Then?
Von Der Fecht Sends a Memo to the Board
The Official Handover
Why?
A Possible Explanation
Was it a Good Deal for Namibia?
And What Happened Then?
Introduction
Performing in the Short Run: Manning and Running Namport
Performing in the Longer Run: Preparing an Adequate Policy for the Port
The Need for Amending the Namport Act
20-Year Performance of Namport
A Final Word
References
