Book Review and Reflection of I Am Not Your Slave: A Memoir by Tupa Tjipombo with Chris Lockhart

Book Details

Genre: Biography

Year: 2020

Buy Book HERE

Introduction

“After a while, a person can get used to almost anything.” — Chapter 9

Imagine living a joyful life among your people, surrounded by family and familiarity—only to be suddenly plunged into a world of captivity.

This is what happened to Tupa. She was violently uprooted from her home in Opuwo, Namibia, and trafficked into Angola. From there, she found herself trapped in a cycle of exploitation, moving through various countries across Africa and eventually to the Middle East.

Tupa’s story is one of survival. She endured witchcraft, sexual exploitation, and years of domestic servitude. Her memoir is both heartbreaking and necessary—an eye-opening account of modern slavery that demands to be read.

Book Summary

The book is divided into 13 chapters.

Chapter One begins with Tupa’s dramatic escape from her captors while being driven into Angola. She then trails off into memories of her childhood—growing up in a Himba village, living a traditional life with her family—until she was eventually ousted to Opuwo.

In Chapter Two, she narrates her life in Opuwo and introduces a key figure: Angel, a young Omuwambo man with business contacts in Angola. She reflects on how the Ovawambo people were generally distrusted by her tribe.

Chapters Three and Four delve into the devastation caused by a drought, which forced her family to consider selling their animals. The family travelled into Angola to do so, and Tupa was asked to accompany them. That’s when things began to unravel: missing boys, disappearing cows, and a deadlock over negotiating prices. Amid the chaos, Tupa was sold—her fate sealed through a ritual involving witchcraft.

I have read about trafficking and juju through research conducted in West Africa. However, it was quite sobering to read a similar experience told by a Namibian survivor of human trafficking. Tupa describes this ritual in tremendous, haunting detail—sending a shiver down one’s spine.

Chapters 5–8: Survival and Recapture

In Chapters 5, 6, and 7, Tupa narrates how she lived in a camp where other enslaved people were kept by military men. She had been removed from her original captors and placed under the control of a general who oversaw the camp. On the advice of another girl, who framed it as a means of survival, Tupa was married off to this general.

However, her temporary refuge did not last. Tupa was eventually recaptured by her original captors and placed on the road again, forced to travel long hours in squalid, dehumanising conditions. It becomes clear that someone specifically requested Tupa.

After a life-threatening boat ride across the ocean, she was brought to Dubai.

In Chapter 8, we learn that her trafficking was not random—she was part of a specific order. Someone had asked for a Himba girl or woman. Once in Dubai, Tupa became a domestic servant under the kafala system, a sponsorship system often criticised for enabling exploitation and modern-day slavery. Through this experience, she came to understand where she—and other African people—were ranked in the racial hierarchy of that society.

Chapters 9–11: The Jackal, Exploitation, and the Darkest Depths

Chapter 9 details Tupa’s life as a domestic servant in Dubai. By now, she has become deeply aware of the many forms of trafficking, including organ harvesting.

In Chapters 10 and 11, Tupa’s duties grow heavier and more disturbing. She finally meets “The Jackal,” the man who “stretched his hand across Africa” and snatched her up—the man who ordered a Himba girl… and received his delivery.

Tupa is subjected to debilitating sexual exploitation. She is treated like a rag doll for sex, especially reserved for The Jackal. Her suffering doesn’t end there — she is also forced to become part of a “girls on show” setup, where women are paraded for the entertainment of international men, including those working in institutions as high as the United Nations.

And yet — since this is Tupa’s retelling — we know she somehow escaped. But how?

With the wealth and influence of those who held her captive, the vast distance between Dubai and her home in Opuwo, Namibia, and the fact that she was left with absolutely nothing…

How did Tupa manage to escape and return home?

Grab your copy to find out. Chapters 12 and 13 give these reflections as well as her journey towards healing.

Recommendation

This book is a difficult read — even for me, someone who has extensively researched human trafficking. It is not for everyone and can be deeply traumatising.

If you are squeamish, some parts of the book will be especially hard to get through. Chapter 4, in particular, is incredibly difficult to digest.

That said, it is an important and necessary read. Tupa’s story forces us to confront the brutal realities that survivors of human trafficking live through—stories that are too often silenced or ignored.

It was also a pleasure to review this book as I grow my Namibian collection, adding to The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas.