Abstract:
This thesis explored the portrayal of Namibia and its people in three Crime Fiction novels: Blood Rose by
Margie Orford (2007), The Hour of the Jackal by Bernhard Jaumann (2011), and The Kupferberg Mining
Company by Johan J. Beyers (2013). It is a qualitative desktop study, which made use of a simple analysis
checklist for guiding purposes. Using the theory of Postcolonialism, the research focused on what social
reflections were found in the selected texts regarding the Namibian nation, how ethnic groups are
portrayed, and racial relationships, specifically their assignment to key characters, namely the victims, the
criminals, and the protagonists. The thesis aimed to demonstrate that the Crime Fiction genre is not
merely entertainment‐centred, that it can be read against the grain, and applicable truths are found in
them, with a specific focus on Namibia. The analysis of the texts revealed that all three contain fictional
narratives with actual Namibian historical backgrounds, which reflect on truthful aspects of that period;
and the portrayal of ethnic groups and racial issues was found to be a blend of positive showcasing, as
well as stereotypical bias.
