198 Broadway. New York, N.Y. 10038 • (212) 962·1210 Tilden J. leMelle, Chairman Jennifer Davis, Executive Director

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF

SAM RUJOHA is the president of the Peoples' Organization (SWAPO). SWAPO is the Hberation movement leading the struggle of the Namj.b5.an people to achieve independence from South Africa's illegal rule and occupation.

Nujoma has been SWAPO's president for 28 years, playing a key role in developing the movement's internal strategy and heading the diplomatic missions which have argued 's cause internationally. The eldest son of an Ovambo peasant farmer, his evolution into an active member of the struggle for Namibian independence began when he was in his early twenties. He became active as a response to his daily experiences of repression at the hands of the South Afrj.can government. While working for South African railways in , he began organizing fellow worker~;,against the migratory contract labor system.

In 1959 Nujoma, already a full time organizer, was arrested on several occasions. In 1960 following a strike he helped organize to protest the forced removal of Blacks from the capital, Nujoma was arrested again and ordered :i.nto internal ex:Ue in a remote country dj.strict. He escaped from Namibia, making his way to Tanzani,a where urged him to take the Namibian cause to the . In New York Nujoma presented eloquent testimony on the sHuatton of the Namibian people before the UnHed Nati.ons. This helped to bring SWAPO lnternational recognition and to focus internattonal attentton on South Africa's occupation of this neighboring country.

In 1966 Nujoma attempted to return to Namibia. He was arrested at the ai.rport, thrown in prison and deported on the following day. His deportation forced him to leave his family in Namibia, and it was 18 years before they were able to join him in exile. His sons are active members of SWAPO. Family members have been vj.ctimizea for NUjoma's political activism.

SWAPO was formed in 1960, emerging out of an earlier political movement of students and migrant workers. It is the only Namibian organization that draws support from the entire country. SWAPO supports a cease fire between itself and the South African army as the nrst step in the implementation of 1978 UnHed Nations Security Council Resolution 435, which provides for free and democratic elections in Namibia under United Nations supervision. A wide range of church, civic and human rights organ.i.zations, and even the South African army, agree that SWAPO would win the majority of votes in a free election.

Mr. Nujoma was born on , 1929, is married to Mrs. Kovambo Theopoline NUjoma and is the father of four children. He was elected President of SWAPO for the first time in , and havi.ng supervised the ereation of the guerrilla wing of the movement, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), he is also its Commander in Chief.

April 1988

Established by The American Committee on Africa, 1966 • Contributions are tax-deductible .. THE TIMES MONDAY APRIL 11 1988 . , OVERSEAS J tro~psjn Tutu challenges Pretoria. on Namibia I From Michael Hornsby, Katutora, Namibia ,. . . Archbishop Desmond Tutu, more than half of Namibia's needed m~rely .to contain the preaching to a packed church 1.19 million population lives, modest mtlitary threat posed in this black township of has been the scene of22 years by Swapo. 60,000 people, yesterday told of desultory but murderous Pretoria uses OShakati and South African troops to "go bush warfare between the Ondangwa as the milin stag­ home and leave the people of South African security forces ing-posts for operation I inside Namibia alone". They offered and the guerrillas ofthe South southern in .u~port 0(. the kind 0fl!rotection, he said, West. ~frica People's the Unit;! rebels. \ that Namlblans would rather Orgamzatloil. . Whether by. accident or do without. . On Saturday,. ArchbIshop design, A~chb.shop Tutu had. A congregatIon of more Tutu held a servIce at Osha- timed his tour ofthe war zone' than 1,000 ululating blacks, to coincide witll last Friday's and a few whites, greeted the Canberra (Reuter) -A petrol visit to Windhoek by Presi­ Archbishop and 18 black and bomb destroyed a South Af- dent Both&, who afterWards white Anglican bishops from riean diplomat's car at his announced that he was giving all over southern Africa as home in the Australian capital strengthened powers to the they arrived in their cream, early yesterday. No one was South African administrator- gold. an~ crimson robes for the injured in the attack and there general here. . se~vlce tn. t~e dusty squalor of have '!ee~. no claims or '''My neighbour in Cape thIS NamIbIan Soweto. responsibility. Town came here and made it Katutura lies just outside .. . Quite clear that the goyern- Windhoek, the capital of Na- kau tn a church a few h~ndred Rient in is the mibia, which is also known as· yards from, the .~nm~r government ofNamibia," the South West Africa. A German fe~~e of Sout~ Afnca ~JJ!8tn archbishop said. He called the. colony before the First World mllttary base tn the'reglon. nominally autonomous Wind- \ War, the vast territory ofsome Afterwards, he accused Pre- hoek Administration no more 319,000 square miles has been toria of "cocking a snook at than an "echo ofthe master's controlled since 191.5 by the world" by its continued voice", South ~frica. for the la~t 17 ,occupation ofNamibia. After his meeting with the years' tn .,defiance of tnter- While the bishops cele- local adminjstration Mr Do.: I natIOnal law.: brated communion with their. tha said that he was B1ving the Pursuing,~.is spiritual chall- congregation, military ve- administra~or-general; Mr enge to tlj~':'Pretoria govern- hides rumbled constantly up' , the pOwer to Archbishop Tutu meeting Bishop George Kaul...... ofNamibia in Oshakati durinl his .isiftothe tnJublectbonler .-elton. ment,Archbishop Tutu and a and down the nearby road. curb newspapers which pro­ party of nine bishops had between Oshakati and Ondan- moted "subversion and terror­ He also empowered Mr.· seeking to aoolish them in 'an· orianization here and is sepa- Church· are holdinir their an­ returned' to Windhoek on gwa, a huge, sandbagged air ism" and to restrict ,organi­ Pien~r to hold .controversial attempt to win wider support' rat~ from .IJJe .gue~lIa wing;pual synod in WindhoeJc this I", Saturday evening from a two- force base, some 20 miles to· zations· which sought to electIons to ethmcally-defined among the Namibian popula-. the People s LiberatIon Army week to mark the tenth day visit to , the south-east, which bristles achieve political goals by vi­ local authorities. . tion. Many of those in. th~ of Namibia, which operates ' anniversary of the passage of about 360 miles to north, on with radar installations. olence, thus apparently threat- Most of Namibia's 78,000' congregation in Katutura yes- from bases in Angola. Arch-~he United Nations Security Namibia's war-tom border The South African military ening an extension of South whites want the authorities terday sported the red,' blue· bishop Tutu and more than 20 Council's Resolution 435 call­ with s

THE GUARDIAN Saturday April 9 1988 Botha poll plan ;for Namibia

The parnes to the attempted Davtd Beresford internal settlement remain In Johannesburg deeply divided over the issue of "ethnicity" and the protection OUTH Africa's President, of "group rights". Mr P.W. Botha, yesterday separate draft constitutions Ssignalled his growing im­ were handed to President Botha patience with the logjam which by the majority of the transi· is continuing to obstruct his at­ tional cabinet and by the local tempts to fashion an "internal" National Party. supported by solution to Namibia's constitu· the Rehoboth Free Democratic tional impasse. Party. He flew to Windhoek with his The President told a news senior cabinet ministers to re­ conference later that he had assess the political situation in briefly looked at the proposals the mandated territory and said and it appeared some progress that local parties would have to had been made, but that some find agreement on the constitu" areas remained vague and I tional question ''Within months, others required better formula· not years." tion. He said it was "of the Ute He warned: "If people do not most importance" that the tran­ want to help themselves, then sitional government should others will have to help them." broaden its political base. Mr Botha announced that he Mr Botha said thatthe time­ was giving his personal repre­ table for Cuban troop with· sentative in Namibia. the Ad· drawals from Angola remained ministrator General, new pow· decisive to attempts to negoti· ers over local government, as ate the territory's well as the press. The adminis­ independence. trator - at present Mr Louis "Even the Government in Lu· Pienaar - would be able to call anda accepts agreement on a racially·based elections in the Cuban withdrawal will have to territory and veto attempts to be linked to implementation of abolish existing authorities, or (UN) Resolution 435," he said. to diminish their administra· The UN also had to reline tive powers. quish its bias towards Swapo as He would also be given au· the "sole and authentic" repre­ thority to take what Mr Botha sentative of the people in the described as "appropriate" territory. steps against local media which • Mozambique's official promoted "subversion" and media accused South Africa "terrorism." yesterday of carrying out a car He warned local political bomb attack which critically in­ leaders that "fitting and jured a prominent anti-apart· effective" action had to be heid campaigner. taken against organisations Professor Albie sachs, a lead· which used violence to promote ing white member of the Afri· their political objectives - a can National Congress, had an remark which was presumed to arm severed when a bomb beaimed atSwapo. wrecked his car on Thursday.

Established by The American Committee on Africa, 1966. Contributions are tax-deductible