My friend Jane Katjavivi, who has died aged 69 after a short bout of ill-health, dedicated her life to Namibia. She and I first met in the 1970s when we were both working in the London office of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), the liberation movement fighting to end South Africa’s illegal occupation of South West Africa.
Swapo later formed the government of independent Namibia. After moving to the country at independence, Jane forged a unique role for herself. Six months after she arrived she started the first Namibian publishing house – New Namibia Books.
