Kahimemua Nguvauva

Who is Kahimemua Nguvauva?

Kahimemua Nguvauva was chief of the Ovambanderu, a Herero clan in Namibia.

During his chieftaincy, Nguvauva was involved in constant hostilities with fellow Herero chiefs. He also was an outspoken opponent of the encroaching settlers of Imperial Germany. The Germans supported Samuel Maharero to become Paramount Chief, and when his competitors, among them Nguvauva, did not accept this, they were stripped of their chieftaincy. Nguvauva's resistance eventually led to skirmishes with the German Schutztruppe, the protection force deployed in the colony. He sent his son Hiatuvao Nguvauva with several followers to Ngamiland, starting an exodus of Ovaherero from South-West Africa to Botswana that only ended after the Herero and Namaqua Genocide of 1904—1907.

In May 1896 in the Battle of Sturmfeld, Nguvauva was wounded and surrendered. Accused of organising the uprising against the Germans he was sentenced to death. He was executed by the German forces on 12 June.