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The Ovamboland People's Organization (OPO) was a nationalist organization that existed between 1959 and 1960 in
South West Africa South West Africa was a territory under Union of South Africa, South African administration from 1915 to 1990. Renamed ''Namibia'' by the United Nations in 1968, Independence of Namibia, it became independent under this name on 21 March 1990. ...
(present day
Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...
). The aim of the organization was to end the South African colonial administration, and the placement of South West Africa under the United Nations Trusteeship system. Andimba Toivo ya Toivo had founded its predecessor, the Ovamboland People's Congress, in 1957 in
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. In 1959, Sam Nujoma and Jacob Kuhangua established the Ovamboland People's Organization (OPO) at the Old Location in
Windhoek Windhoek (; ; ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek, which ...
. Sam Nujoma was the president of OPO until its transformation into the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) a year later and remained president until Namibia gained independence in 1990.


History

The formation of OPO is closely linked to the South West Africa Native Labour Association (SWANLA), a labour contracting organisation that recruited many Namibians, mainly from Ovamboland, through the controversial contract labour system to work on farms and mines in Namibia and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. The contract labour system faced objections due to its harsh treatment and
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
abuses, raised by Namibian nationalists both within the country and abroad. In 1951, Andimba Toivo ya Toivo moved to South Africa, where he worked as a railway police officer in Cape Town. Ya Toivo and others influenced by the politics of the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...
(ANC) met several times at a small barbershop in Cape Town to discuss Namibia's political situation and issues concerning the contract labour system. During the discussions on political action, the group formed the Ovamboland People's Congress (OPC) on 2 August 1957 under the leadership of Ya Toivo. Among the founding members were Jacob Kuhangua, Mzee Kaukungwa, Eliaser Tuhadeleni, Peter Mweshihange, Solomon Mifima, Maxton Mutongulume, Jariretundu Kozonguizi, Emil Appolus, Andreas Shipanga, Ottiliè Schimming and Kenneth Abrahams. The group's aim sought to end the exploitative contract labour system and policies of SWANLA. The information about the OPC's formation reached nationalist leaders inside the country. One of them was Sam Nujoma, who became one of the organization's front man leading its Windhoek branch. Nujoma went around to the workers' compounds talking to them about the formation of the new organization. By 1958, the organization had thousands of members and followers in compounds and locations all over Namibia. In 1958, Ya Toivo sent a letter and a tape he recorded to Mburumba Kerina and Rev. Michael Scott, who were based in the United States, documenting human rights violations in South West Africa. This information was used to petition the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. In December 1958, Ya Toivo was expelled from Cape Town shortly after the petition made headlines in the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and was deported together with Jacob Kuhangua and Jariretundu Kozonguizi among others. After spending a few days in
Keetmanshoop Keetmanshoop is a town in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia. It is named after , a German Empire, German industrialist and benefactor of the city. Keetmanshoop had a population of 27,862 people in 2023. History Before the colonial era, ...
and then Windhoek the police were determined to deport him further to Ovamboland, where he was placed under house arrest in the kraal of the Ondonga Chief Johannes Kambonde. On 19 April 1959, Jacob Kuhangua, Sam Nujoma, Louis Nelengani, Emil Appolus and Lucas Haleinge Nepela officially established the Ovamboland People's Organization (OPO) as the successor of the OPC at the Old Location in Windhoek. At the first congress Nujoma was elected president, Nelengani deputy president, Kuhangua secretary general and Nepela as chairperson. Ya Toivo was under house arrest during this time missing out on a position but he was deemed the organization's leader in Ovamboland. He would later become the Secretary of its Ondangwa branch where he played an important role in mobilizing new members and educated them about colonial resistance. During this time Nujoma and Ya Toivo had only communicated through letters; they had never met face to face until Ya Toivo was released from
Robben Island Robben Island () 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 language, Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrika ...
in 1984. In September 1959, the South West African National Union (SWANU) was officially launched at a public meeting in Windhoek with the backing of the Herero Chiefs' Council under the leadership of Chief Hosea Kutako. SWANU was established as an umbrella body for anti-colonial resistance groups to broaden and strengthen the nationalist basis of the movement. OPO became a member of SWANU and its leaders were members of SWANU's executive committee. Jariretundu Kozonguizi became the first president of SWANU after receiving strong support from OPO and the Herero Chiefs' Council. OPO and SWANU leadeship were instrumental in organizing the Old Location Uprising protest after the colonial administration forcefully moved residents of the Old Location to a new township, Katutura. On 10 December 1959, the police opened fire during a protest and killed 11 protesters. OPO and SWANU leaders faced arrest and were interrogated. After this event the two groups had different views on the way forward which culminated in OPO breaking out of SWANU to pursue the arms struggle. Sam Nujoma continued to face arrest and threats of deportation to Ovamboland. On 26 February 1960, after receiving advice from Chief Hosea Kutako he escaped and went into exile.Peter N. Stearns and William Leonard Langer. ''The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, Chronologically Arranged'', 2001. Page 1070. Shortly after arriving in
Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
, Nujoma left to the United States and joined Mburumba Kerina and Jariretundu Kozonguizi to petition the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. In New York, meetings between Nujoma, Kerina and Kozonguizi to unite OPO and SWANU in order to fight the common enemy as a united people were unsuccessful. Instead the idea to transform OPO into a pan-ethnic national liberation movement with a mandate to unite all people of South West Africa was birthed. On 19 April 1960, the OPO leadership in Windhoek transformed OPO into the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO).Dictionary of African historical biography
"Sam Nujoma", Page 280, 1989
Nujoma was elected as SWAPO president in absentia, Kuhungua and Nelengani retained their positions as secretary general and vice president respectively. Following the transformation in 1960 many SWAPO leaders arrived in Tanzania to prepare for the launch of the armed liberation struggle. In 1962, SWAPO founded its military wing, the South West Africa Liberation Army (SWALA), which was later renamed 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 Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) during the S ...
(PLAN). Ya Toivo, Eliaser Tuhadeleni and other SWAPO leaders were able to facilitate the logistics that led to the establishment of the military bases inside the country. On 26 August 1966, the South African Defence Force attacked SWAPO guerrilla fighters at Omugulugwombashe in northern Namibia. It was the first armed battle in the Namibian War of Independence which lasted until 1989. After the battle, about 63 SWAPO freedom fighters inside the country including Ya Toivo, Eliaser Tuhadeleni, John Otto Nankudhu, Immanuel Shifidi, Nathaniel Maxuilili and Helao Shityuwete were arrested at different occasions and air-lifted to Pretoria to face trial. They were tried under the Terrorism Act of 1967; the majority of them were sentenced to prison on Robben Island and some died in police custody during the trial. Namibia achieved independence on 21 March 1990, SWAPO won the first democratic elections and Sam Nujoma was sworn in as the first President of Namibia. SWAPO has been the governing party in Namibia since independence.


References

{{Reflist African and Black nationalism in Africa Defunct political parties in Namibia SWAPO Ovambo Nationalist movements in Africa 1959 establishments in South West Africa 1960 disestablishments in Africa Herero Chiefs' Council affiliate