1958 The OPC is renamed the Ovamboland People’s Organisation (OPO), as allegedly suggested by Mburumba Kerina.
Ben Amathila becomes a member of the OPO.

Namibia_Omaheke_Epukiro_Ben-Amathila_1.JPG (150684 bytes)

The Leader of the Cabinet Committee: Archives of Anticolonial  Resistance and the Liberation Struggle (AACRLS) at Epukiro Pos 3: Ben Amathila: 8.07.2003
Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks

The Damara Tribal Executive Committee (DTEC) is founded under Dama Chief David ||Goreseb in Franzfontein. Some members found a little later the Damara Executive Committee (DEC) as a political party. The DTEC continues to operate.
JGH van der Wath becomes the new leader of the National Party of SWA.
In recognition of the potential for diamonds in the marine environment, the first off-shore concession is granted over a five kilometre wide area along the coast between the Oranje River and Lüderitz. The mining of diamonds from barges begins in 1961. Various off-shore mining technologies are subsequently tested and today Namibia is the only country in the world where marine deposits are mined to a water depth of 200 m.
Mining from the sea is carried out in the Chameis Bay from 1962 to 1969, in Bakers Bay in 1971 and in Hottentots Bay north of Lüderitz in 1969 and 1970.
With the salt industry as the main economic activity in the Swakopmund area during the 1950s, over-production and price wars ensue. To prevent economic collapse, ten of the twelve main salt producers reach an agreement to establish the Swakopmund Salt (Pty) Ltd.
The Goreangab Dam near Windhoek is built.
The trunk road from Otavi to Tsumeb is paved.
In the Kavango the Uukwangali King Sivute dies. He is followed by Queen Kanuni who returns from  exile (until 1971). Her successors are the kings Mbandu (until 1977) and Daniel Sitendu Mpasi (from 12.04.1977 until present).

02.01. Construction of the broad "Cape gauge" railway line begins at Kranzberg between Usakos and Karibib.
15./22.04. The First Conference of Independent African States issues the "Accra Declaration", concerning the future of dependent territories in Africa.
May The Good Offices Committee, under the chairmanship of Charles Arden-Clarke, holds a meeting with the SA Government, without any progress made. The committee decides that the supervisory authority of the UN must be clearly acknowledged as a minimum condition for any rapprochement with the SA Government.
25.06. Leader from ELOK becomes Missionary Alppo Hukka with Leonard Auala as his closest co-worker.
September The Independent South West Party is established in Walvis Bay for a short period.
25.09. Hosea Kutako and the leader of the Witbooi Nama, Hendrik Samuel Witbooi and his nephew (son of Markus Witbooi) Hendrik Witbooi again petition the United Nations. Consequently the Trusteeship Committee of the UN rejects a plan by the UN Good Offices Committee to divide SWA and to incorporate the southern portion of the territory into SA. Eric Louw, the representative of South Africa objects and in the course of his objection attacks the credentials of the petitioners and claims that they are unreliable witnesses.
The UN General Assembly extends the mandate of the United Nations Permanent Committee on SWA for a further year.
December Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo succeeds in sending a petition to the United Nations, with the assistance of Mburumba Kerina and Michael Scott. Consequently he is deported from Cape Town, first to Keetmanshoop and Windhoek and later to Ovamboland, where he is placed under house arrest in his home village Oniipa. On the way from Cape Town to Keetmanshoop, Toivo is accompanied by Jariretundu Kozonguizi. In Keetmanshoop they enter into discussions with a newly formed organisation, the Society for the Advancement of the African People in South West Africa (SAAPSWA). They try to persuade the SAAPSWA leader Philip Musirika to launch a new party , the Namaland People’s Congress, but nothing comes of it.
Toivo, although a member of the Anglican Church, stays in constant, close contact with Leonard Auala from ELOK. Because of OPO’s (later SWAPO’s) deep roots in the Ovambo people, ELOK subsequently gives its support to this national liberation movement. Members and supporters of SWAPO are also members of the congregation. The people, church and national liberation movement coincide.
The new broad-gauge railway line reaches Omaruru.
05.12. The newspaper Namib Times is established by Paul Vincent. The newspaper is first published in Swakopmund (until 15.09.1961) and later in Walvis Bay.
WB00823_.GIF (134 bytes)

[Return to Table of Contents]

forward.GIF (132 bytes)