1980 General Prem Chand of UNTAG visits Namibia.
The Damara Council is reconstituted (after being abolished in 1977) as a political party (leader: Justus ||Garoëb). The NNF is defunct.
The DTP becomes the Democratic Turnhalle Party of Namibia (DTPN) in alliance with the DTA. Daniël Luipert is the DTPN leader, and additional members are Ernst Kuhlmann, Jeremiah Jagger and Emil Appolus.
The Tswana Alliance becomes a party, named the Seoposengwe Party and led by Tswana Chief Constance Kgosiemang. Seoposengwe forms an alliance with the DTA. The Riemvasmaak United Party (RUP) is formed under the presidency of Dawid Dawids to join the NPLF.
The United Namibia People’s Party (UNPP) is formed under the presidency of Hizipo Shikondombole after a split in SWAPO-D. The new party joins the NNF to form an alliance in 1989.
Pendukeni Iivula Ithana, who left Namibia in 1974, becomes Secretary of the SWAPO Women’s Council.
Jesaya Nyamu becomes SWAPO's representative in Addis Ababa.
The Original People’s Party of Namibia (OPPN) is founded. It forms an alliance with the United Democratic Front of Namibia (UDF) in 1989. The OPPN leader is Theophilus Soroseb.
A new power line is built between Aggeneys in SA and Windhoek.
Commercial Granite production starts at Rooikop, east of Walvis Bay.
Telephone connections are established with some places in Ovamboland (Ondangwa and Oshakati are connected with automatic services). Opuwo in the Kaokoland and Rundu in the Kavango are also linked. Katima Mulilo in the Caprivi Strip can be reached by radio (a telephone line from Rundu and Katima Mulilo is completed in 1986). Direct dialling is possible to 33 countries. Namibia has 53,9 telephone lines per 1 000 inhabitants (Kenya has 7,2 and Zambia 12,6 in comparison), the second best telephone system on the African continent after South Africa.
07./14.01. The pre-implementation conference for SC Resolution 435 fails in Geneva.
March The election victory of ZANU-PF under Robert Mugabe leads to independence for Rhodesia, which is renamed Zimbabwe.
21.03. The Lüderitzbucht Stiftung (Lüderitzbucht Foundation) is founded by the IG in order to revive the ailing town of Lüderitz. Since 1983 Crispin Clay is the first chairman of the initiative.
31.03. In S/13862 the UN Secretary-General reports that SA agrees to the DMZ concept.
03.05. A new Chief for the Veldschoendrager (||Hawoben), Hans J Titus, is inaugurated in Keetmanshoop.
12.05. SA announces that it still seeks "an international settlement for the conflict", but it complicates the situation by hinting that UNITA should be involved as well.
14.06. A new railway line "behind the dunes" between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay is officially opened by SA Minister of Transport Chris Heunis.
20.06. The UN Secretary-General accepts virtually all SA’s reservations, but SA is still not satisfied as far as UN "impartiality" is concerned.
28.06. The Chief of the Topnaar (#Aonin) Nama, Seth Koitjie, is sworn in in Walvis Bay.
July CANU and SWAPO split. Most of the past CANU members such as Mishake Muyongo and Siseho Simasiku leave SWAPO. CANU is revived by Muyongo in Lusaka. In 1987 Muyongo becomes first Vice-President and later President of the DTA. After Dirk Mudge’s retirement in April 1995, Muyongo is re-elected president of the DTA. In 1992, Simasiku joins SWAPO again.
01.07. The National Assembly receives executive powers when the Minister’s Council is established to replace the (governing/advisory) Council of the Administrator-General. The new Constitution, known as "AG8", establishes a three-tier government in Namibia: the first tier handles central government issues under the supervision of the Administrator-General; the second tier comprises the "ethnic" governments of Namibia’s 11 "nations"; and the third tier comprises the local authority administrations. Dirk Mudge becomes Chairman of the Council of Ministers. The Council, however, is not recognised by the Western Five.
The South West African Government Service is established.
01.08. The South West Africa Territory Force (SWATF) is established, and male citizens of Namibia are subject to conscription. The function of the SWATF is to support SADF war efforts.
05.08. During the war between SWAPO’s PLAN and the SADF many atrocities against alleged SWAPO sympathisers are pledged. Very few cases ever become the topic before a court of justice. One of the few examples is the case of Johannes Kakuva who dies at Opuwo as a result of torture while he is in the custody of the SA Security Police. In spite of all evidence against Captain King and in spite of his admission of guilt, the court finds King "not guilty" during a trial in 1987. Another case which can be regarded as "travesty of justice" happens in 1981. A member of the South African forces, Louis Conrad Nagel, who is charged to have killed Fritz Reinholdt with his own weapon, is treated very moderately by the courts. In spite of the overwhelming evidence the accused is sentenced to a prison sentence of six years. The court imposes another mild sentence on two "white" members of the South African security forces, TE Kruger and D van den Heever, who in November 1981 kill Andreas Nelomba under aggravating circumstances. In the case of a "black" member of the security forces, the court sentences are not so modest. The Koevoet member, Jonas Paulus, is sentenced to death and executed in Windhoek on 04.06.1985 for murdering an old man in a village near Oshakati in January 1983.
01.09. The transfer of control over the police is instituted.
September Danie Hough is nominated for the position of Administrator-General.
15.09. In the aftermath of SA’s attack on Cassinga (Operation Reindeer) in May 1978, some PLAN soldiers are charged in accordance with the Terrorism Act, No. 83 of 1967. When the South African military forces attacked and destroyed the SWAPO bases Cassinga and Vietnam on 04.05.1978, it brought back to Namibia a considerable number of captives - including children. These captives are detained in the prison camp at Kaiganachab, west of Mariental in accordance with various security laws. Several of these captives, including children, are selected as witnesses in a number of criminal trials in the Regional Magistrate’s Court at Otjiwarongo during 1978. Heiki Shililifa is one of a number accused rounded up in Namibia and charged with contravening the Terrorism Act in that they had given assistance to Namibians to leave the country for the purpose of undergoing training outside Namibia. Shililifa is convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment.
Subsequently (1984 and 1987) three bishops from Namibian churches (Bishop Bonifatius Hausiku from the Roman-Catholic Church, Anglican Bishop Kauluma and ELCIN Bishop Kleophas Dumeni) apply for the release of 36 detainees which are kept in terms of Proclamation AG 9 of 1977. The bishops succeed in substance but fail on the legal issues decided by the courts.
29.09. The AG8 Act is promulgated, providing for an ethnic authority for each of the 11 ethnic groups. In accordance with AG8, 355 candidates are proposed for nine ethnic authorities.
October DTA President Cornelius Ndjoba resigns.
A UN delegation under the leadership of Urquhart and Abdulrahim Farah visits SA. Urquhart observes that virtually all points of dispute are solved, but SA is not committed to any real progress in implementing SC Resolution 435.
01.10. SWA issues the third definitive stamp series with animals as motif (no water mark).
02.10. Danie Hough replaces Viljoen as Administrator-General.
15.10. Ida Jimmy is charged in accordance with the Terrorism Act, No. 83 of 1967. She is one of the Namibian women supporting in public the struggle for the liberation of Namibia. She is sentenced to a high prison term for propagating the armed struggle at a public meeting in Lüderitz.
11./13.11. Elections for the nine ethnic authorities take place. In the "white" Legislative Assembly the NP of SWA under AH du Plessis maintains its majority over the RP under Dirk Mudge. This proves that the majority of "whites" are opposed to moderate change, even along the lines of " cautious multiracialism". Taken as a whole, the ethnic elections of 1980 represent a setback for the DTA. Only 33,6% of registered voters vote for the DTA, 12,8% vote for the opposition parties and 53,6% abstain. No ethnic elections take place in Ovamboland, the Caprivi Strip, Bushmanland and Rehoboth.
24.11. In S/14266 the UN Secretary-General details the discussions held between SA and the UN mission to SA led by Brian Urquhart, and concludes that a cease-fire plan must be set and the implementation of SC Resolution 435 should be started early in 1981.
In S/14333 the Secretary-General concludes that the Geneva talks held in January have failed because SA is not ready to accept SC Resolution 435.

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South African Army in the North of Namibia, 1980s
Namibia State Archive

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