ABSTRACT
The Caprivi Strip is a classic example of a panhandle, a narrow strip of land either providing or denying access. The Wakhan Panhandle from north-eastern Afghanistan was constructed to prevent access to the Indian subcontinent. The Caprivi Strip takes its name from the German foreign minister of the time and was ceded to Germany by Britain in 1893 to give German South-West Africa access to and an outlet through the Zambezi River corridor. Local Caprivi Baragwena Basarwa were recruited as trackers for the South African Defense Forces (SADF) and formed, under white officers, the 201 Batallions. Since Namibia became independent in 1990, there has been no military conflict in the Caprivi Strip and there are no territorial or boundary disputes. However, the Basarwa people, less than 5 per cent of the state population, are remote from the centre of the country and have a strong and distinct cultural identity.
