The SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL), formerly known as the SWAPO Youth League (SYL), is the youth wing of the

SWAPO Party 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 ind ...

, the ruling party of

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 ...

since 1990.Swapo party constitution It shares the same principles as those of the SWAPO Party.

Foundation

SPYL came into existence in 1969 after the SWAPO Tanga Consultative Congress in Tanzania adopted a new constitution. In 1971, the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

declared South African occupation of Namibia as illegal. At that time there existed pervasive disgruntlement in the country due to the

Odendaal Plan Frans Hendrik Odendaal (1898–1966) (known as Fox Odendaal) was a South African politician, governor of the Transvaal province, best remembered for heading the commission that became known by his last name. Odendaal Commission In 1962 Odendaal ...

that was going to initiate a homelands policy. The Youth league protested at major colleges and schools and participated at the general strike of 1971 and 1972, a major turning point in the Namibian fight for independence. There was also a schools' boycott in northern Namibia in 1973 against the

Bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now N ...

policy. These activities resulted in the arrest and imprisonment at

Robben Island Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...

of many youth leaders, including Nashilongo Taapopi,

Jerry Ekandjo Jerry Lukiiko Ekandjo (born 17 March 1947) is a Namibian politician, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. He is one of the founding members of the SWAPO Youth League and has been one of the most active internal leading members o ...

and Martin Kapewasha among others. Once the Portuguese revolution struck in May 1974, it was possible for Namibian youth to leave the country via Angola. Thousands of youth left Namibia between May and December 1974 to join SWAPO abroad, majority ended up serving in the

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 ...

(PLAN). Youth activist Keshii Pelao Nathanael, was the leader of the internal radical youth inside the country. He and his youth group members orchestrated most of these strikes. He was elected as the founding president of the SWAPO Youth League at the

Oniipa Oniipa is a town in the Oshikoto Region of northern Namibia and the district capital of the Oniipa electoral constituency. It lies just outside Ondangwa. It is the hometown of former Lutheran bishop and liberation leader Leonard Auala. There i ...

Congress in 1974 before going into exile.

Structure and organs

The National Organs of SPYL are established under the SPYL constitution and are chaired by the Secretary. These are the Congress, which is the highest decision making body of SPYL, the Central Committee, and the National Executive Committee. The SPYL constitution also makes provision for duties and functions of SPYL national office-bearers which are: * The Secretary, also SPYL President * Deputy Secretary * Secretary for Finance and Administration * Secretary for Information, Publicity and Mobilisation * Secretary for International Affairs * Secretary for Labour and Justice * Secretary for Education, SWAPO Pioneer Movement and Culture * Secretary for Economic Affairs * Secretary for Health, Population and Environment * Two additional members

Leaders

* Keshii Pelao Nathanael, 1974 – 1976 *

Ignatius Shixwameni Ignatius Nkotongo Shixwameni (4 September 1966 – 10 November 2021) was a Namibian politician. He was the leader of Namibia's All People's Party. Life Shixwameni was born in Shambyu, the traditional kingdom in the Kavango Region, and he ear ...

, 1987 – 1997 *

Paulus Kapia Paulus Kapia (born 18 September 1967 in Ehafo, Oshana Region) is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Kapia was first elected to the National Assembly of Namibia in 2005. He was appointed to the politburo of SWAPO and served for a short tim ...

, 1997 – 2007 *

Elijah Ngurare Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare is a Namibian politician and academic at the University of Namibia who served as the Secretary General of the SWAPO Party Youth League from 2007 to 2015. Early life and education Elijah Ngurare was born on 28 October 1970 ...

, 2007 – 2015 (expelled from position) * Veiko Nekundi, 2015 – 2017 (acting) * Ephraim Tuhadeleni Nekongo, 2017–present

Notable members

Job Amupanda Job Shipululo Amupanda (born 28 August 1987 in Omaalala, Oshana Region) is a Namibian activist and politician who served as Mayor of the City of Windhoek, in office from 2 December 2020 to 1 December 2021. He is an academic at the University of N ...

, Former SPYL Secretary for Information *

, Government Minister; member of SPYL from 1963–79 * Natangwe Ithete, Deputy Minister of Finance and former Secretary of Education of SPYL 2007-2012. *

Elia Irimali Elia is a name which may be a variant of the names Elias, Elijah, Eli or Eliahu, and may refer to: People * Aelia (gens) or Elia, a ''gens'' of Ancient Rome Mononymic * Elia or Elijah, a biblical prophet * Elia, a pen-name of Charles Lamb First ...

, Governor of

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 second largest population concentration in Namibia after the ...

, Former SPYL Activist *

Ndali Che Kamati Ndali may refer to: * Ndali people, a people of Tanzania and Malawi * Ndali language * Ndali, Benin N'Dali is a city and arrondissement in the north of Benin, and the capital of the Commune of N'Dali in the Borgou Department. The commune covers ...

, Namibian Ambassador to Russia, former Vice President of International Union of Students and well known SPYL activist during the 1980s. *

Naftali Kambungu According to the Book of Genesis, Naphtali (; ) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Bilhah (Jacob's sixth son). He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Naphtali. Some biblical commentators have suggested that the name ''Naphtali'' ma ...

, Vice President of the World Federation of Democratic Youth and former Secretary of Labour and Justice of SPYL 2012-2015. *

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 ...

, former Government Minister, Member of the SPYL Central Committee from 1991–2002 *

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 ...

Prime Minister of Namibia The prime minister of the Republic of Namibia is the leader of the Government of Namibia. The prime minister is appointed by the President of Namibia and co-ordinates the work of the Cabinet. They also advise and assist the president in the exe ...

and former Secretary of Economic Affairs of SPYL 1997-2002. *

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, ...

, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and former Secretary of International Affairs of SPYL 2007-2012. *

Charles Ndaxu Namoloh Major General Charles Dickson Ndaxu Phillip Namoloh (born 28 February 1950) is a Namibian diplomat, politician and military figure who served in the cabinet of Namibia as Minister of Safety and Security from March 2015 to March 2020. Namoloh has ...

, Minister of Safety and Security, he fled to Zambia with SPYL in 1974 * Sackeus Shanghala, former Minister of Justice and former Secretary of Labour and Justice of SPYL 2007-2012.https://www.namibian.com.na/174224/archive-read/List-of-new-Cabinet-changes , List of new Cabinet changes - The Namibian *

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 ...

, Minister of Environment and Tourism and former Central Committee of SPYL 1997-2002. *

Piet van der Walt Piet Jacobus van der Walt (born 14 January 1966 in Okahandja) is a Namibian businessperson and politician who has been the Deputy Minister of National Planning since 2018. Early life and education Van der Walt grew up in Okahandja and went to pr ...

, Government Minister, businessperson

References

{{Authority control SWAPO National liberation movements Youth wings of political parties in Namibia Anti-Apartheid organisations Youth wings of social democratic parties Youth organizations established in 1969 World Federation of Democratic Youth

Foundation

Structure and organs

Leaders

Notable members

See also

References