DIOCESE OF DAMARALAND / DIOCESE OF NAMIBIA
Cathedral: St George’s, Windhoek.
Afrikaans
Arms altered in 1934 and registered with the Bureau of Heraldry under Certificate No 1326 dated 20 May 1983. The blazon reads:
Argent, on a cross Gules an anchor Argent; within a bordure per pale Azure and Or.
Brownell[1] writes: “This is a corrected version of the original arms in which a black anchor on the Cross of St George contravened the heraldic colour rule that tincture should not be placed upon tincture. Its replacement by a silver anchor corrected this deficiency.”
Of the colours he writes: “The border of blue and gold alludes to the situation of the Diocese between the blue waters of the Atlantic and the gold sands of the desert.” The same colours, with the same symbolism, are found in the arms of the Diocese of False Bay.
Brownell continues: “The previous name of this Diocese, namely ‘Damaraland’, was a misnomer since Damaraland was but one part of South West Africa, which attained independence as the Republic of Namibia on 21 March 1990.
“In what was considered by the civil authorities as a politically provocative move, the Diocese had, however, already changed its name to the Diocese of Namibia in 1978, more than a decade before independence.
“In addition to its activities in the Republic of Namibia, the diocese is involved in the mission field in Angola which has, since 1991, been an Archdeaconry of the Diocese of Lebombo.”
Bishops:
These arms were adopted when C C Watts succeeded the founder bishop, N W Fogarty. His successors have been: G W R Tobias (consecrated 1939), C W Alderson (1949), J D Vincent (1952), R H Mize (1960), C B Winter (1968), James Kauluma (1981) and N S Hamupembe (1998).
Afrikaanse blasoen:
Die wapen is in 1934 gewysig en is deur die Buro vir Heraldiek volgens Wapenbrief No 1326 gedateer 20 Mei 1983 geregistreer. Die blasoen lui:
In silwer, op ’n rooi kruis ’n silwer anker, binne-in ’n skildsoom gedeel van blou en goud.
