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Wheel Tax – Were there vehicle licences before there were cars? – Find out at the Scientific Society

Wheel Tax – Were there vehicle licences before there were cars? – Find out at the Scientific Society

The Namibia Scientific Society will host a public talk by Gordon McGregor, titled; ‘Wheel Tax and Tokens – were there vehicle licences before there were cars in this country?’ on 24 February at 19:00.

The Society said that McGregor, a historian by profession, will present some interesting facts while showing his book South West African Wheel Tax Badges 1926-1961, which is themed around the so-called ox-wagon licenses and the collecting of the applicable badges.

“This must surely rate as one of the least known areas of badge collecting in the world and it is more so restricted to Southern Africa and the book gives the history of the Four and Two Wheel Tax Badges used in the Protectorate of South West Africa,” the Society added.

McGregor was born in South Africa and his interest in German Imperial Colonial Troops stated at an early age and was fuelled by his arrival in South West Africa. It triggered an interest in collecting and researching medals, badges, insignia and the history from that period.

He is the founding member, past president and lifelong honorary member of the Militaria Collector’s Society of Namibia, as well as a member of the Bund Deutscher Ordenssammler, the Orders and Medals Society of America and the South African Military Medal Collector’s Society.

He has published various books and written extensively on the medal, badges, insignia and history of the country from the pre-colonial times to the present day as well as receiving many honours and awards for his work in this field.


 

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Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.