ans ▁had ▁been ▁present ▁in ▁the ▁territory ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 ' s , ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁with ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁claim ▁to ▁South - West ▁Africa ▁that ▁German ▁settlement ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁began ▁in ▁earnest . ▁By ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁there ▁were ▁roughly ▁ 4 , 6 8 2 ▁white ▁sett lers ▁in ▁the ▁prote ctor ate ▁of ▁whom ▁nearly ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁were ▁Germ ans , ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Lü der itz , ▁Sw ak op mund , ▁and ▁Wind ho ek . ▁The ▁advent ▁of ▁large - scale ▁German ▁settlement ▁also ▁brought ▁about ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁Her ero ▁and ▁N ama ▁pe op les ▁by ▁Europe ans , ▁with ▁native ▁people ▁facing ▁increased ▁legal ▁disc rim ination ▁and ▁ex prop ri ation ▁of ▁land ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁white ▁sett lers . ▁ ▁Reb ell ion ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁K ho i ▁and ▁Her ero ▁tribes ▁rose ▁in ▁revol t ▁and ▁about ▁ 6 0 ▁German ▁sett lers ▁were ▁killed . ▁Tro ops ▁were ▁sent ▁from ▁Germany ▁to ▁re - est ab lish ▁order ▁but ▁only ▁dispers ed ▁the ▁reb els , ▁led ▁by ▁Chief ▁Samuel ▁Mah ar ero . ▁In ▁a ▁famous ▁letter ▁to ▁Hend rik ▁Wit bo oi , ▁the ▁N ama qua ▁chief , ▁Mah ar ero ▁sought ▁to ▁organ ize ▁his ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁while ▁building