Namibia

This is a magnificent country, Its population is barely two million people domiciled in an area some three times the size of the whole of the United Kingdom. And what people they are! The landscapes are sublime, ranging from the vast open spaces of the Namib Desert, the glorious Etosha animal reserve and the green Caprivi Strip in the north through which the Zambezi flows.

My random pictures are nowhere nearly representative of this wonderful, politically stable and orderly country. Formerly South West Africa, it joined the Commonwealth in 1992.

I hope to split the individual locations into their own dedicated galleries when I have had an opportunity to review all the photographs.

The garden at Wabi

The farm is owned by and has been developed by Christine and Mark Egger over many years. They are justly proud of what they have achieved, providing a life enhancing experience for visitors, a marvellous haven for indigenous and re-introduced animals, employment for many local workers and all with an eye on preserving and caring for the environment.The Namibian government has a programme of land redistibution, which at present may be described as gentle but there are signs that the programme is getting more severe with one or two other local farms under threat. The confiscation of all or even part of this farm would be a travesty of natural justice given the investment which has taken place for the benefit of so wide a community.

Mark and Christine feel they are living in a period of great uncertaincy unable to feel confident about the future, which all their efforts have been designed to secure. The day that Wabi is confiscated we should give up on Africa!

Location: Wabi

Photographer: Robin Barker