Amraal Lambert

Who was Amraal Lambert?

Amraal Lambert, Nama name: ǂGaiǀnub, was the first Captain of the Kaiǀkhauan, a subtribe of the Orlam, in the eastern area of Namaland, today's Namibia.

Amraal Lambert was born around 1774 near Hex River in the Clanwilliam district in the Cape Colony. A Cape Khoikhoi descendant, his status was little better than that of a slave, and he was forced to work in Worchester and Cape Town in his youth. In 1814 Lambert moved to Namaland, accompanied by missionary Heinrich Schmelen, who baptised him in Bethanie in 1815. Schmelen and the Kaiǀkhauan group led by Lambert stayed together for 14 more years but Schmelen closed the missionary station in Bethanie in 1822 and travelled on. Lambert accompanied Schmelen on his travel to Walvis Bay in 1825.

Between 1830 and 1860, Amraal Lambert and his cousin Jonker Afrikaner controlled much of southern and central South-West Africa. Together they have been described as "super-power[s] in the cattle raiding business". From 1825 onwards Jonker Afrikaner and his council played a dominant political role in Damaraland and Namaland, creating a de facto state.