The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
. Founded in 1960, it has been the governing party in Namibia since the country achieved independence in 1990. The party continues to be dominated in number and influence by the
Ovambo ethnic group.
SWAPO held a two-thirds majority in
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
from 1994 to 2019. In the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
held in November 2019, the party won 65.5% of the popular vote and 63 out of the 104 seats in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
. It also holds 28 out of the 42 seats in the
National Council. As of November 2017,
Namibian President Hage Geingob
Hage Gottfried Geingob (born 3 August 1941) is a Namibian politician, serving as the third president of Namibia since 21 March 2015. Geingob was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served as prime minister again from 2012 ...
has been the president of SWAPO after being elected to the position at the party's electoral congress.
History
Background and foundation
German South West Africa
German South West Africa (german: Deutsch-Südwestafrika) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. With a total area of ...
was established in 1884. After World War I, the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
gave South West Africa, formerly a
German colony, to the United Kingdom as a
mandate under the administration of South Africa.
When the
National Party won the 1948 election in South Africa and subsequently introduced
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
legislation, these laws were applied as well to South West Africa. It was considered the ''de facto'' fifth province of South Africa.
SWAPO was founded on 19 April 1960 as the successor of the
Ovamboland People's Organization
The Ovamboland People's Organization (OPO) was a nationalist organization that existed between 1959 and 1960 in South West Africa (now present day Namibia). The aim of the organization was to end the South African colonial administration, and the ...
. Leaders renamed the party to show that it represented all Namibians. But, the organisation had its base among the
Ovambo Ovambo may refer to:
*Ovambo language
*Ovambo people
* Ovamboland
*Ovambo sparrowhawk
The Ovambo or Ovampo sparrowhawk, also known as Hilgert's sparrowhawk, (''Accipiter ovampensis'') is a species of sub-Saharan African bird of prey in the famil ...
people of northern Namibia, who constituted nearly half the total population.
Struggle for independence
During 1962, SWAPO had emerged as the dominant nationalist organisation for the Namibian people. It co-opted other groups such as the
South West Africa National Union
The South West Africa National Union (SWANU) is a Namibian political party founded in 1959. Most of its members came from the Herero people, while fellow independence movement SWAPO was mostly an Ovambo party. The party's president is Charles ...
(SWANU), and later in 1976 the
Namibia African People's Democratic Organisation
The Namibia African People's Democratic Organisation (NAPDO) was a political party in Namibia, based amongst the Damara people. It was founded in 1970.
In 1972 NAPDO joined the National Convention (NC, later NNC).
In 1976 NAPDO left the Namib ...
. SWAPO used
guerrilla tactics
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics ...
to fight the
South African Defence Force
The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...
. On 26 August 1966, the first major clash of the conflict took place, when a unit of the
South African Police
The South African Police (SAP) was the national police force and law enforcement agency in South Africa from 1913 to 1994; it was the ''de facto'' police force in the territory of South West Africa (Namibia) from 1939 to 1981. After South Afr ...
, supported by the
South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment ...
, exchanged fire with SWAPO forces. This date is generally regarded as the start of what became known in South Africa as the
Border War.
In 1972, the
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
recognised SWAPO as the 'sole legitimate representative' of Namibia's people. The Norwegian government began giving aid directly to SWAPO in 1974.
The country of
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
gained its independence on 11 November 1975 following its
war for independence. The leftist
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola ( pt, Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, abbr. MPLA), for some years called the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party (), is an Angolan left-wing, social d ...
(MPLA), supported by
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
and the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, came to power. In March 1976, the MPLA offered SWAPO bases in Angola for launching attacks against the South African military.
Independent Namibia
When Namibia gained its independence in 1990, SWAPO became the dominant political party. Though the organisation rejected the term ''
South West Africa
South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...
'' and preferred to use ''Namibia'', the organisation's original name—derived from the territory's old name—was too deeply rooted in the independence movement to be changed. However, the original full name is no longer used; only the acronym remains.
SWAPO, and with it much of Namibia's government and administration, continues to be dominated by the
Ovambo ethnic group, despite "considerable efforts to counter
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
perception".
SWAPO president
Sam Nujoma
Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma, (; born 12 May 1929) is a Namibian revolutionary, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three terms as the first President of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005. Nujoma was a founding member and the first ...
was declared Namibia's first
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
after SWAPO won the
inaugural election in 1989. A decade later, Nujoma had the constitution changed so he could run for a third term in 1999, as it limits the presidency to two terms.
In 2004, the SWAPO presidential candidate was
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born 18 August 1936) is a Namibian politician who served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He won the 2004 presidential election overwhelmingly as the candidate of SWAPO, and was ...
, described as Nujoma's hand-picked successor.
In 2014, the SWAPO presidential candidate was
Hage Geingob
Hage Gottfried Geingob (born 3 August 1941) is a Namibian politician, serving as the third president of Namibia since 21 March 2015. Geingob was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served as prime minister again from 2012 ...
, who was the Vice-President of SWAPO. In 2019
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
, president Geingob won his second five-year term as Namibian president.
Ideology
SWAPO was founded with the aim of attaining the
independence of Namibia
The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...
and thus is part of the
African nationalist movement. Pre-independence it harboured a
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
,
[ ]Marxist–Leninist
Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialect ...
[ ideology, a thinking that was not immediately abandoned when independence was achieved in 1990 and SWAPO became the ruling party. Officially, however, it adopted a ]social democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
ideology, until the electoral congress in 2017 approved the official change to socialism
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
with a "Namibian character",[ although some Namibians have labeled the change as lacking a "grass-roots ocialist nature.]
Various commentators have characterised the politics of SWAPO in different ways. Gerhard Tötemeyer, himself a party member, considers its post-independence politics neoliberal
Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...
and social democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
.[ ]Henny Seibeb
Henny Hendly Seibeb is a Namibian politician and Member of Parliament who serves as Deputy Leader and Chief Strategist (DLCS) of the Landless People's Movement (Namibia), Landless People's Movement political party which he formed alongside Bernadu ...
, an opposition politician from the Landless People's Movement
The Landless People's Movement was an independent social movement in South Africa. It consisted of rural people and people living in shack settlements in cities. The Landless People's Movement boycotted parliamentary elections and had a histor ...
, describes the current party ideology as liberal nationalism
Civic nationalism, also known as liberal nationalism, is a form of nationalism identified by political philosophers who believe in an inclusive form of nationalism that adheres to traditional liberal values of freedom, tolerance, equality, in ...
with traces of "dogmatism
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam o ...
, authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political '' status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic vot ...
, and statism
In political science, statism is the doctrine that the political authority of the state is legitimate to some degree. This may include economic and social policy, especially in regard to taxation and the means of production.
While in use sinc ...
".
Structure
The party president is the top position of SWAPO; in 2012 this was held by Namibia's former president Pohamba. The vice-president is Namibia's current president Hage Geingob
Hage Gottfried Geingob (born 3 August 1941) is a Namibian politician, serving as the third president of Namibia since 21 March 2015. Geingob was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served as prime minister again from 2012 ...
, who was elected to that position in 2007 and reconfirmed at the SWAPO congress in December 2012. The third highest position in SWAPO is the secretary-general, a position held in December 2012 by Nangolo Mbumba
Nangolo Mbumba (born 15 August 1941) in Olukonda, Namibia. He is a Namibian politician who currently serves as the 2nd vice president of Namibia.
A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Mbumba has headed a number of Namib ...
. Number four is the deputy secretary-general, Omaheke
Omaheke ( hz, Sandveld) is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, the least populous region. Its capital is Gobabis. It lies in eastern Namibia on the border with Botswana and is the western extension of the Kalahari desert. The self-governed vil ...
governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua
Laura Veendapi McLeod-Katjirua is a Namibian politician who has been Governor of the Khomas Region since 2012 and Deputy Secretary General of SWAPO since 2012. Previously she was Governor of Omaheke Region from 2001 to 2012. She was transferred ...
.
Like many socialist and communist parties, SWAPO is governed by a politburo
A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states.
Names
The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contraction ...
and a central committee
Central committee is the common designation of a standing administrative body of Communist party, communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, of both ruling and nonruling parties of former and existing socialist states. In such party org ...
. The party leadership is advised by a youth league, a women's council, and an elders' council.
Politburo
The politburo of SWAPO is a body that consists of:
* The party president: Hage Geingob
Hage Gottfried Geingob (born 3 August 1941) is a Namibian politician, serving as the third president of Namibia since 21 March 2015. Geingob was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served as prime minister again from 2012 ...
* The former party president: Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born 18 August 1936) is a Namibian politician who served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He won the 2004 presidential election overwhelmingly as the candidate of SWAPO, and was ...
* The secretary-general: Sophia Shaningwa
* The deputy secretary-general: Marco Hausiku
Marco Mukoso Hausiku (25 November 1953 – 26 August 2021) was a Namibian politician who was deputy Prime Minister of Namibia from 2010 to 2015. Previously he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2010. In 2017 he was elected deputy ...
* 2 members appointed by the party president
* 18 members elected by the SWAPO central committee:
* Nangolo Mbumba
Nangolo Mbumba (born 15 August 1941) in Olukonda, Namibia. He is a Namibian politician who currently serves as the 2nd vice president of Namibia.
A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Mbumba has headed a number of Namib ...
* Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila (born 12 October 1967) is the Prime Minister of Namibia, in office since 21 March 2015. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). She has been a member of the National Assem ...
* Laura McLeod-Katjirua
Laura Veendapi McLeod-Katjirua is a Namibian politician who has been Governor of the Khomas Region since 2012 and Deputy Secretary General of SWAPO since 2012. Previously she was Governor of Omaheke Region from 2001 to 2012. She was transferred ...
* Pohamba Shifeta
Pohamba Penomwenyo Shifeta (born 27 March 1968) is a Namibian politician. He is Namibia's Minister of Environment and Tourism since his appointment by president Hage Geingob in March 2015.
Early life and education
Shifeta was born at Ongenga in ...
* Peter Katjavivi
Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi (born 12 May 1941) is a Namibian politician who is the Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia since March 2015 and the chancellor of the Namibia University of Science and Technology from 1992 to 2003. Previously he ...
* Doreen Sioka
Doreen Nampiye Sioka (born 1960) is a Namibian politician. She is member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 1994 for the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), and a member of the cabinet since 2005, serving as Minister of Gende ...
* Katrina Hanse-Himarwa
Katrina Hanse-Himarwa (born 22 January 1967, in Hoachanas) is a Namibian politician. A member of the SWAPO party, she served as Minister of Education, Arts and Culture from 21 March 2015 to 9 July 2019.
Hanse-Himarwa is a teacher by profession. ...
* Margaret Mensah-Williams
Margaret Natalie Mensah-Williams (born 25 December 1961) is a Namibian politician, diplomat, and prominent SWAPO member. She serves as Namibia's ambassador to the United States.
Mensah-Williams also served as councillor of Windhoek Khomasda ...
* Sirkka Ausiku
Sirkka Namutenya Anneli Mwahafa Ausiku (born 1964) is a Namibian administrator and politician. She is the governor of Kavango West Region since 2014.
Ausiku was born on 9 April 1964 in Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West Region. She holds a diploma in ...
* Lucia Witbooi
Lucia Witbooi (born 1961 in Gabes, Namibia, Gabes, ǁKaras Region) is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Witbooi was elected to the National Assembly of Namibia, Namibia's National Assembly in the 2009 Namibian general election, 2009 general ...
* Hilma Nikanor
Hilma is a female given name that was in occasional use at the turn of the 20th century. The name was made popular by the German poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. The name was used in early 19th century Scandinavian literature, probably as a vari ...
* Bernard Esau
Bernhardt Martin Esau, also ''Bernhard'' or ''Bernard'' (born 9 December 1957), is a Namibian politician. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Esau has been a member of the National Assembly since being nominated by P ...
* Alpheus ǃNaruseb
Alpheus ǀGou-ǃna ǃNaruseb (born 20 March 1954) is a Namibian politician who has served in the cabinet of Namibia in various portfolios. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), !Naruseb has served in the cabinet since 1 ...
* Calle Schlettwein
Carl-Hermann Gustav "Calle" Schlettwein (born 13 June 1954) is a Namibian politician who has served in the country's cabinet since 2012. In March 2020, he was appointed the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform after serving as the Mini ...
* John Mutorwa
John Mutorwa (born 17 August 1957) is a Namibian politician and current Minister of Works and Transport. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Mutorwa has served in the National Assembly of Namibia as well as the cabin ...
* Albert Kawana
Albert Kawana (born 26 March 1956) is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Kawana has been a member of the National Assembly and cabinet since 2000, serving in various positions. Since April 2021 he is minister of Home Affairs, Immigrat ...
* Lucia Iipumbu
Lucia Magano Iipumbu (born 20 November 1975 in Onamenga near Elim) is a Namibian politician. A member pf SWAPO she entered parliament in 2015 and immediately was appointed as Deputy Minister of Economic and National Planning. After a Cabinet ...
* Tobie Aupindi ''Tobie'' is an oratorio by Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Fau ...
Central Committee
SWAPO's Central Committee consists of:
* The president
* The vice-president
* The secretary-general
* The deputy secretary-general
* The founding president of SWAPO as a permanent member
* 13 SWAPO Party regional coordinators
* 54 members elected at the party congress
* 10 members appointed by the party president
The members are:
* Hage Geingob (''ex officio'', SWAPO President)
* Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (born 29 October 1952) is a Namibian politician who is the Prime Minister of Namibia, Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia since March 2015. She has also been serving as Namibia's List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Namibi ...
(''ex officio'', SWAPO Vice-President)
* Sophia Shaningwa (''ex officio'', SWAPO Secretary-General)
* Marco Hausiku (''ex officio'', SWAPO Deputy Secretary-General)
* Sam Nujoma
Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma, (; born 12 May 1929) is a Namibian revolutionary, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three terms as the first President of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005. Nujoma was a founding member and the first ...
(''ex officio'' SWAPO founding President)
* Hifikepunye Pohamba (''ex officio'' SWAPO former President)
Elected members:
* Nahas Angula
* Abraham Iyambo
Abraham Iyambo (2 February 1961 – 2 February 2013) was a Namibian politician. Iyambo was a member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 1995, serving as Ministry of Fisheries (Namibia), Minister of the Fisheries from 1997 to 2010 and as Mi ...
* Ben Amathila
Ben Amathila (born 1 October 1938 in Walvis Bay) is a retired Namibian politician. Amathila served in the government of Namibia with SWAPO from independence in 1990 until his retirement in April 2007.
From 1990 to 1993 he served as Minister of ...
* Marco Hausiku
* Nickey Iyambo
* Jerry Ekandjo
* John Mutorwa
* Utoni Nujoma
Utoni Daniel Nujoma (born 8 September 1952) is a Namibian politician who serves as Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation since March 2020. He has served in various government ministerial positions in the government s ...
* Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila (born 12 October 1967) is the Prime Minister of Namibia, in office since 21 March 2015. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). She has been a member of the National Assem ...
* Theo-Ben Gurirab
* Libertine Amathila
Libertina Inaviposa Amathila ( née Appolus, born 10 December 1940) is a Namibian physician and politician. She was the deputy Prime Minister of Namibia from 2005 to 2010.
Early life
Amathila was born in Fransfontein, Kunene Region. Under the S ...
* Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
* Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
* Bernard Esau
Bernhardt Martin Esau, also ''Bernhard'' or ''Bernard'' (born 9 December 1957), is a Namibian politician. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Esau has been a member of the National Assembly since being nominated by P ...
* Pohamba Shifeta
Pohamba Penomwenyo Shifeta (born 27 March 1968) is a Namibian politician. He is Namibia's Minister of Environment and Tourism since his appointment by president Hage Geingob in March 2015.
Early life and education
Shifeta was born at Ongenga in ...
* Richard Kamwi
Richard Nchabi Kamwi (born 3 June 1950 in Ioma, Zambezi Region) is a Namibian medical physician and politician.Hopwood, Graham. Guide to Namibian Politics, 2007 edition. Namibia Institute for Democracy, Windhoek, 2007 A member of the National Asse ...
* Petrus Iilonga
Petrus Iilonga (8 January 1947 – 11 December 2018) was a Namibian politician as well as a trade union leader and political prisoner in Robben Island. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Iilonga served as Deputy Minis ...
* Joel Kaapanda
Joel Natangwe Kaapanda (born 12 June 1945) is a Namibian politician. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Kaapanda was a member of the National Assembly of Namibia from November 2002 to March 2020. He served in cabinet ...
* Albert Kawana
Albert Kawana (born 26 March 1956) is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Kawana has been a member of the National Assembly and cabinet since 2000, serving in various positions. Since April 2021 he is minister of Home Affairs, Immigrat ...
* David Namwandi
* Isak Katali
Henry Isak Amalovu Katali (born 5 January 1958 in Eunda, Omusati Region) is a Namibian politician.
From 1988 to 1990, Katali studied for a bachelor's degree with honours at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. From 2001, Katali com ...
* Katrina Hanse-Himarwa
* Erkki Nghimtina
Erkki Nghimtina (born 16 September 1947) is a Namibian politician and former military officer in the Namibia Defence Force (NDF).http://209.88.21.36/opencms/opencms/grnnet/MWTC/Minister/biography.html A member of the South West Africa People's ...
* Tjekero Tweya
Tjekero Tweya (born 18 June 1960 in Shamundambo, Okavango Region), is a Namibian politician and trade unionist. Tweya is a member of parliament for SWAPO. He served in the Cabinet of Namibia as Minister of Industrialization, Trade and SME Deve ...
* Erastus Uutoni
Erastus Amutenya Uutoni (born 29 January 1961) is a Namibian SWAPO politician who has served in the cabinet of Namibia since March 2010.
Uutoni was born on 29 January 1961 in Omatando, near Ongwediva in Ovamboland of South West Africa (today t ...
* Samuel Ankama
Chief
Chief may refer to:
Title or rank
Military and law enforcement
* Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force
* Chief of police, the head of a police department
* Chie ...
* Margaret Mensah-Williams
Margaret Natalie Mensah-Williams (born 25 December 1961) is a Namibian politician, diplomat, and prominent SWAPO member. She serves as Namibia's ambassador to the United States.
Mensah-Williams also served as councillor of Windhoek Khomasda ...
* Mandume Pohamba
* Doreen Sioka
Doreen Nampiye Sioka (born 1960) is a Namibian politician. She is member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 1994 for the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), and a member of the cabinet since 2005, serving as Minister of Gende ...
* Kazenambo Kazenambo
Kazenambo Kazenambo, commonly known as KK, (6 July 1963 – 17 August 2021) was a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Kazenambo was first elected to the 4th National Assembly of Namibia in 2005 and appointed deputy Minister of Local and R ...
* Helmut Angula
Helmut Pau Kangulohi Angula (born 11 November 1945) is a Namibian businessman, politician, former cabinet minister and writer. He is currently the director of various private companies, after leaving government in 2010, and a longtime member of th ...
* Peya Mushelenga
Samuel Abraham Peyavali "Peya" Mushelenga (born September 01, 1975 in Oshigambo, Ovamboland) is a Namibian politician and poet. He is broadly educated, holding twelve academic qualifications from six different universities.
A member of SWAPO, ...
* Loide Kasingo
Loide Lucky Shoopala Kasingo (born 17 February 1954)[Loide Kasingo](_blank)
at Namibia Institute for Democracy< ...
* Alpheus ǃNaruseb
* Peter Katjavivi
Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi (born 12 May 1941) is a Namibian politician who is the Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia since March 2015 and the chancellor of the Namibia University of Science and Technology from 1992 to 2003. Previously he ...
* Leon Jooste
Leon Jooste (born 18 February 1969 in Grootfontein, Otjozondjupa Region) is a Namibian politician and businessperson who served as Minister of Public Enterprises until 1 December 2022.
Education and early life
Jooste attended school at Paul Roo ...
* Asser Kapere
* Charles Namoloh
* Lempy Lucas
Lempy Lucas, also: Lukas, (born 7 November 1961 in Eendombe, Omusati Region) is a Namibian politician. A member of the National Assembly from 2000 until 2015, Lucas is a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). She has held ...
* Veikko Nekundi
* Hilma Nikanor
* Lucia Witbooi
Lucia Witbooi (born 1961 in Gabes, Namibia, Gabes, ǁKaras Region) is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Witbooi was elected to the National Assembly of Namibia, Namibia's National Assembly in the 2009 Namibian general election, 2009 general ...
* Penda Ya Ndakolo
Jafet Penda Ya Ndakolo (born 23 March 1960 at Oshigambo) is a Namibian SWAPO politician and current governor of Oshikoto Region. He served as Ministry of Defence (Namibia), Minister of Defence from 2015 to 2020. After losing his position as mini ...
* Usko Nghaamwa
Usko Nghihepavali Nghaamwa is a Namibian businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He's originally from Oipapakane Village in the Ohangwena Region. A member of SWAPO, Nghaamwa has been the Governor of the northern Ohangwena Region
Ohangwena ...
* Immanuel Ngatjizeko
Immanuel Ngatjizeko (30 May 1952 – 5 March 2022) was a Namibian politician and member of the ruling SWAPO Party. He held five ministerial portfolios from 2003 until his retirement in 2018.
Early life and education
Immanuel Ngatjizeko was born ...
* Eunice Iipinge
* Elia Kaiyamo
Elia George Kaiyamo (born 10 January 1951) is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Kaiyamo was an internal organizer and teacher for SWAPO prior to independence. He served in the Cabinet of Namibia as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Im ...
* Moses Amweelo
Moses Amweelo (born 25 May 1952 in Okatana, Oshana Region
Oshana is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Oshakati. The towns of Oshakati, Ongwediva and Ondangwa, all situated with this region, form an urban cluster with the s ...
* Sophia Shaningwa
* Samuel Nuuyoma
* Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun
Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun is a Namibian businesswoman and politician. She is the former president of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI). In 2017 she was a candidate for the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the Swapo Party. ...
* Rosalia Nghidinwa
Rosalia Annette Nghidinwa (26 October 1952 – 14 January 2018) was a Namibian politician.[Profile]
, Namibi ...
* Clemens Kashuupulwa
Clemens Handuukeme Kashuupulwa (born 14 November 1948) is a Namibian politician. He is the Governor of Oshana Region since 1998. He was re-appointed in 2010 by President Hifikepunye Pohamba[Uahekua Herunga
Uahekua Herunga is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Herunga was a regional coordinator for his party in the northwestern Kunene Region prior to his appointment to the 5th National Assembly of Namibia in 2009 as a choice of president Hif ...]
* Willem Konjore
Reverend Willem Konjore (30 July 1945—10 June 2021) was a Namibian politician. He was a member and a deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, and served in cabinet from 2005 to 2010.
Early life and education
Konjore was born on 3 ...
President-appointed members (2017):[
* Calle Schlettwein
* Erkki Nghimtina
* Penda Ya Ndokolo
* Christina Hoebes
* Jennely Matundu
* Collien van Wyk
]
List of presidents
* Sam Nujoma
Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma, (; born 12 May 1929) is a Namibian revolutionary, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three terms as the first President of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005. Nujoma was a founding member and the first ...
- (1960 – 2007)
* Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born 18 August 1936) is a Namibian politician who served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He won the 2004 presidential election overwhelmingly as the candidate of SWAPO, and was ...
- (2007 – 2015)
* Hage Geingob
Hage Gottfried Geingob (born 3 August 1941) is a Namibian politician, serving as the third president of Namibia since 21 March 2015. Geingob was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served as prime minister again from 2012 ...
- (2015 – 2017/acting president), (2017 – present)
Finances and business interests
Although SWAPO receives finances from government for its operations, the party also holds extensive business interests. Through Kalahari Holdings
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for , covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa.
It is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian, and South African Namib coasta ...
it entered into joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...
s with several companies, most prominently the Namibian branch of MultiChoice
MultiChoice is a South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv, a minor service operating in over 9 countries of this area and Showmax service. MultiChoice was formed out of the sub ...
, a private satellite TV provider, of which it owns 51%. Kalahari Holdings has further joint ventures with Radio Energy
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
, Africa Online
Africa Online Holding Ltd., sometimes abbreviated to AFOL, is the largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Africa. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, it offers Internet access and operates in ten African countries, including Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Namibia, ...
, and businesses in the tourism, farming, security services and health insurance sectors. It owns Namib Contract Haulage, Namprint, Kudu investment
The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus ''Tragelaphus'':
* Lesser kudu, ''Tragelaphus imberbis'', of eastern Africa
* Greater kudu, ''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'', of eastern and southern Africa
The two species look similar, tho ...
, and the Ndilimani Cultural Troupe.
''Namibia Today'' was the mouthpiece of the SWAPO, and Asser Ntinda
Asser (; ; died 909) was a Welsh monk from St David's, Dyfed, who became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s. About 885 he was asked by Alfred the Great to leave St David's and join the circle of learned men whom Alfred was recruiting for his ...
its editor. The paper does not appear to have been active since 7 April 2011 and closed down in 2015.
Human rights abuses
Various groups have claimed that SWAPO committed serious human rights abuses against suspected spies during the independence struggle. Since the early 21st century, they have pressed the government more strongly on this issue. Breaking the Wall of Silence
Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It is named after Siegfried Groth book ''Namibia. The Wall of Silence'', and was formed at the occasion of the book's release in 19 ...
(BWS) is one of the groups founded by people who were detained by SWAPO during the war and abused during interrogations. In 2004, BWS alleged that "In exile, hundreds of SWAPO dependants and members were detained, tortured and killed without trial." SWAPO denies serious infractions and claims anything that did happen was in the name of liberation. Because of a series of successful South African raids, the SWAPO leadership believed that spies existed in the movement. Hundreds of SWAPO cadres were imprisoned, tortured and interrogated.
In 2005, the P.E.A.C.E. Centre (People's Education, Assistance and Counselling for Empowerment) conducted an extensive study on the lives of Namibian ex-fighters and their families fifteen years after Independence. Their published ebook investigates the post-independence lives of those who fought on both sides of the Namibian War of Independence
The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...
. Data from this research indicate that ex-fighters exhibit symptoms of long-term post traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...
(PTSD). The findings indicate there is a correlation between the life circumstances of ex-fighters and their lack of resilience to traumatic war experiences. Resiliency has been linked to a number of protective factors, such as the socio-economic situation of the survivors, their socio-political environment, their social support networks, and their cognitive processes.
The study says that, in the case of Namibian ex-fighters, long-term psychological distress is different from a simple PTSD diagnosis. The survivors have almost invariably gone for nearly two decades without seeking treatment, adding to their burdens. During this time, the ex-fighters have been exposed to additional social and psychological stressors through life events. For a person without PTSD, such stressors may have fleeting effects, but for a sufferer of long-term psychological distress, each life incident could reduce the survivor's resilience to trauma, as well as triggering "flashbacks" to events during the war.
Memberships
SWAPO is a full member of Socialist International
The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of socialist and labour-oriented political parties and organisations. ...
. It was a member of the Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
The movement originated in the aftermath o ...
before the independence of Namibia in 1990.
Electoral history
Presidential elections
National Assembly elections
National Council elections
See also
* People's Liberation Army of Namibia
The People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) was the military wing of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO). It fought against the South African Defence Force (SADF) and South West African Territorial Force (SWATF) during the Sout ...
* Namibia African People's Democratic Organisation
The Namibia African People's Democratic Organisation (NAPDO) was a political party in Namibia, based amongst the Damara people. It was founded in 1970.
In 1972 NAPDO joined the National Convention (NC, later NNC).
In 1976 NAPDO left the Namib ...
* Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola ( pt, Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, abbr. MPLA), for some years called the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party (), is an Angolan left-wing, social d ...
* South African Border War
The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...
* South West Africa National Union
The South West Africa National Union (SWANU) is a Namibian political party founded in 1959. Most of its members came from the Herero people, while fellow independence movement SWAPO was mostly an Ovambo party. The party's president is Charles ...
* SWAPO for Justice
* Andimba Toivo ya Toivo
Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo (22 August 1924 – 9 June 2017) was a Namibian anti-apartheid activist, politician and political prisoner. Ya Toivo was active in the pre-independence movement, and is one of the co-founders of the South West Afri ...
References
External links
* Hoog, Tycho van der (2022).
A New Chapter in Namibian History: Reflections on Archival Research
. ''History in Africa''. – An explainer of existing archives on SWAPO.
Website of SWAPO
Website of the SWAPO Youth League
''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', 19 November 1989.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swapo
African and Black nationalist organizations in Africa
South West Africa
Guerrilla organizations
Military history of Namibia
Political parties in Namibia
Socialist International
Rebel groups in Namibia
National liberation movements
National liberation armies
Left-wing parties
Anti-Apartheid organisations
1960 establishments in South West Africa
Decolonization