1969 | The powers of the exclusive
"white" political sub-system, the Legislative Assembly of SWA, are reduced when
the South West Africa Constitution Act, No. 42 of 1925, is replaced by a new consolidating
South West Africa Constitution Act, No. 39 of 1968. This development is followed by the
South West Africa Affairs Act, No. 25 of 1969. In addition to those administrative
departments administered by SA since 1920, SA now assumes responsibility for the following
departments: labour, "black" education, interior affairs, prisons, commerce,
industries, justice, "coloured" affairs, agriculture, mines, cultural affairs,
public works, posts and telegraphs, transport, social welfare and pensions, and water
affairs. The continuous urbanised "Bantustanisation" can be shown by the example Rundu in the Kavango. From this year onwards the urban part of Tutungeni is classified as "white" and is called by the locals "Blanke Dorp". The "black" population is forcefully evicted and is resettled in a new township, Nkarapamwe. The resettlement programme is completed in 1975. The Herstigte Nasionale Party (HNP), which constitutes the reactionary wing in "white" politics, opens its first branch in the territory with Sarel Becker as its Regional Secretary. The Voice of the People Party is founded by Jeremiah Jagger in Katutura, Windhoek. Jagger is later succeeded by Kephes Conradie. The party is the successor to the SWADU led by Conradie and Johannes Skrywer. The copper and zinc ore bodies of Rosh Pinah are mined by the South African company ISCOR. Offshore diamond mining is carried out in Chameis Bay from 1962 to 1969, in Bakers Bay in 1971 and in Hottentots Bay north of Lüderitz in 1969 and 1970. Eduard Maharero dies. He is succeeded by Alfons Maharero in Okonja near Otjinene. Okonja (near Otjinene): Ovambanderu Community of the Maharero
Group at the Meeting with the Cabinet Committee: Archives of Anticolonial Resistance
and the Liberation Struggle (AACRLS): 28.07.2003 Chief Alfons Maharero of the Ovambanderu Community of the
Maharero Group at the Meeting with the Cabinet Committee: Archives of Anticolonial
Resistance and the Liberation Struggle (AACRLS): Okonja: 28.07.2003 Herero Day (Red Flag Day) in Okahandja: Memorising the Home
Coming of Late Samuel Maharero: 23./26.08.1923: With Ovaherero Chief Alfons
Kaihepaovazandu Maharero from Okonja (near Otjinene) in the first Row (left): Otjozondjupa
Region: 24.08.2003 Herero Day in Okahandja: Memorising the Home Coming of Late
Samuel Maharero: 23./26.08.1923: Ovaherero Chief Alfons Kaihepaovazandu Maharero from
Okonja (near Otjinene) at the Grave of Hosea Kutako: Otjozondjupa Region: 24.08.2003 |
20.03. | The UN Security Council ratifies UNGA Resolution 2145 by SC Resolution 264 and requests SA to leave the territory before October 1969. It requests the ICJ to rule on the legal consequences of SAs continued presence in the territory. SA rejects UNGA Resolution 2145 because in SAs opinion the UN Council for Namibia has no legal standing. |
01.04. | The political and legal
integration of the territory into the Republic of South Africa increases, with many
administrative sub-sections becoming the direct responsibility of the SA Government. The
territory becomes a de facto fifth province of SA. During the period 1960-1969 the territorys gross domestic product increases by 153%. The Augustineum is taken over by the Department of Bantu Administration and Development. |
27.05. | SA Prime Minister Vorster states that in accordance with the Odendaal Plan, the SA Government has thus far purchased 401 "white" farms to be incorporated into the "homelands". |
12.08. | The UN Security Council passes UN SC Resolution 269 condemning SAs continued presence in the territory, which constitutes "an aggressive encroachment on the authority of the United Nations", and it requests SA to leave before 04.10.1969. |
December | The Department of Water Affairs investigates the feasibility of a hydro power station at the Popa Falls in the Okavango River near Divundu, the Divundu Hydro Project, later the Popa Falls Hydro Project (2002). The plan suggests to build a substantial catchment dam for a 20 MW hydro power station. |
01.12. | Agha Abdul Hamid, UN Assistant
Secretary-General, is appointed Acting Commissioner for Namibia in place of UN Legal
Counsel CA Stavropoulos. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) establishes Radio Ovambo, Radio Herero and Radio Nama/Dama in Windhoek (only Radio Owambo has a backup station in Oshakati) on FM transmitters as well as on shortwave. Only Radio Ovambo broadcasts for four hours in the morning and five in the afternoons. Radio Herero and Radio Nama/Dama have to share transmitters every day. It is only in 1975 that Radio Nama/Dama goes fully fledged on its own channel. All three stations are established as an extension of the SABC: Radio Bantu. The philosophy behind Radio Bantu is not so much to provide information or education to "blacks", but rather to control and pacify them. As reflected in a SABC Report, the purpose to introduce Radio Bantu is "to counteract the warped and dangerous political, social and economic doctrines being propagated among Natives ... ". The establishment of the three "black" radio stations is introduced at a time when external broadcasts by Radio SWAPO is increasing (Since the 1960s SWAPO transmits from Ghana, Egypt, Algeria and later Angola). In 1974 the SABC starts Lozi radio services from Johannesburg (the Lozi services are shifted to Windhoek in 1986). In 1975 the SABC launches a fourth radio station in Namibia, the Kavango Services. For the Namibian "whites" South West Africa news are bilingual broadcasts in English and Afrikaans and transmitted on short wave frequencies. These news bulletins are meant for the "white" communities, particularly the farmers. |
26.12.-02.01.1970 | SWAPOs Consultative
Congress in Tanga/Tanzania creates new structures for the liberation movement. Sam Nujoma
is confirmed as SWAPO President. Brendan Simbwaye becomes Vice-President, with Mishake
Muyongo acting for this unaccounted-for prisoner of the South Africans. Louis Nelengani,
former Vice-President, is expelled from SWAPO (because he had a fight with the former
Administrative Secretary Jacob Kuhangua in Dar-Es-Salaam 1968 which left Kuhangua
paralysed). Libertine Amathila, who left the territory in 1962, becomes Deputy Secretary
of Health and Welfare; Ben Amathila, who left in 1966, becomes Deputy Secretary of
Education and Culture; Moses Makue ||Garoëb replaces Kuhangua as SWAPO Administrative
Secretary; Phillip Iyambo Indongo becomes Secretary for Health and Welfare; Simon
"Mzee" Kaukungua becomes Secretary of the SWAPO Elders Council; Peter
Mweshihange becomes Acting Secretary for Foreign Affairs; Hifikepunye Pohamba becomes
Deputy Administrative Secretary; and Ernest Ngarikutuke Tjiriange becomes Secretary for
Legal Affairs. NAPLA becomes the Peoples Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). |