DOCSLIB.ORG

Namibia's Freedom Shines Like a Torch in the Night!

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Namibia's Freedom Shines Like a Torch in the Night! Spring, 1990 Volume 13, No.1 The new Namibian army honor guard stand at attention while fireworks celebrate Namibia's independence on March 21, 1990. Photo by John Liebenberg NAMIBIA'S FREEDOM SHINES LIKE A TORCH IN THE NIGHT! Freedom came to Namibia at midnight, 21 March As the Namibian flag was raised cheers rose, tears 1990 - like a torch in the night - just as Lutheran flowed and women's voices trilled with the traditional Deputy Bishop Zephania Kameeta had imaged it in his and distinctive sound of celebration. An athlete carry- paraphrase of Psalm 126: ing a flaming torch entered the stadium and ran to light a huge freedom flame . A spectacular fireworks When the day comes on which our victory display lit up the night sky, completing a grand will shine like a torch in the night, evening of speeches and traditional music and danc- it will be like a dream. ing, witnessed by heads of state and dignitaries We will laugh and sing for joy. representing most of the world's countries. All over the country, Namibians gathered in the night The most honored international guests clearly were at regional independence ceremonies to lower the Nelson and Winnie Mandela . ,present not only to South African flag at midnight and to raise the celebrate, but also to see "how it is done" - a sort of beautiful new flag of the Republic of Namibia . It was dress rehearsal for South Africa. an electric moment in the Windhoek Stadium as thousands of Namibians who had gathered in their Following are stories, pictures of independence, infor- capitol city shouted "down, down, down" as the South mation about Namibia's new constitution and African flag was lowered at 17 minutes past midnight . perspectives on the road ahead to building a new nation. Eetteimit ;ved fv .a,~ v NK• Wv .,fir . t. qfr rf lv t•~ f f1~.f Y f ^f .fx.+ r r f :. } hfi . x .~ r 3 ..,:....lc:,.cru. .k^:GS.: .. ft. : ..,; N.,.:S21rrr2 +: .isrrM,, ,~, f4Y,,,sl + . ..?:,r..: Selma Gwanandjokwe Shejavali Free at Last! Selma and Abisai Shejavali, with their daughters Taimi and Kandi, studied at Wartburg Theological Seminary from 1971 to 1978 . National Namibia Concerns began because of their presence among us . Staff Photo .v :SSr. U:. C''WOM V'•r 4 :~'"^P~.' .f :v` +^ :.... Tom.. n',:~~.•,(~`fi`f ! !,•.!,. £~ ~""+•+%'~' F"v'~"trr',4 FREE AT LAST! FREE AT LAST! THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, FREE AT LAST! The words of Martin Luther King, Jr . rang out in I hope that the voluminous promises of continued speeches, conversation and in print on T-shirts as advocacy and development aid which were spoken independence was celebrated throughout Namibia. in Windhoek during independence week by represen- It was my great privilege to be present in Namibia to tatives of churches and governments become a reali- share independence days, representing all of you, the ty. Search your hearts for how you will remain in NNC network. I bring you greetings from your free solidarity and action. Namibian sisters and brothers. Susan Burchfield It was quite remarkable to be in a place where so many people understood freedom as God's action and gift, and where rain on the outdoor celebrations was greeted as a sign of God's blessing! In between NAMIBIA NEWSLETTER is published quarterly by National showers on the eve of Independence, a bright rain- Namibia Concerns (NNC), with assistance from the Division for bow appeared over Katutura, the black township of Global Mission, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. the capitol city Windhoek. National Namibia Concerns Namibia Concerns The coming of freedom was filled with unspeakable 915 East 9th Avenue 333 Wartburg Place Denver, Colorado 80218 Dubuque, Iowa 52001 joy, tempered with the sobering reality of the (303) 830-2774 (319) 589-0326 monumental task of nation building to come. We have filled this newsletter with photos, quotes and National Namibia Concerns is an education/advocacy articles hoping to convey both realities to you . Please. network working with the Namibian churches for a just independence for the people of Namibia. .drink in the joy of seeing free Namibian faces and hearing free voices, with pride in their new country Executive Director : Solveig Kjeseth, Denver, CO Associate Director : Susan Burchfield, Denver, CO and thanksgiving for all who have been a part of their Midwest Coordinator: Ilah Weiblen, Dubuque, IA struggle. And then also, please hear that the struggle NNC Board President: Barbara Fullerton, Columbus, OH is not over. 2 tpvpae Neto%:4,4, M ^%" +t ! :. ... r .:. C r:. ..n• :. f. rq n4. r „, H!r+{rr'% .{: : rf f . v f.: . 3 ;/yfx 2HHi'%: H : 'H. r. %•h:vt'f.Y:dr.'H:..^.d:rw:'!:d.;rid. •/:..:. .d6. :f^ .!S{.:.. ~. x'.C^ :~,flr'. :{r,. .~ f Tl::firy,.A .crk;/.,: .x .ii'f;:.;,.y x' k /%.r ,,,,.!„%' .. .,~r' { v:: .f lr:.:.r;.r,.•,+H'f../ ..r,. r.:,. ^f .r <+” :%^Y..: :/. .: . .d: rrfr{i.%,.:,:/rr: .fi!., .r.:... .: {.. .~ u'~'~:!. 'r'•/..R.::Yh.. :'` . .i, ..%: r1 r,r,.: .^,r::•r>:{. :'r: ,,d :..r,d:::..':r..,:.,r,: r.:., ./~{:..:rr. rr.:rd.fr?>{.Qg .!..:.f H!.rH{. :r;....kxr',.f: .:r.f: . .:.:.s~+n{{.."k. : .~..+{..r^.. ..•"r~ . vw;•. :s{;x,,..::.>..: .,rc<x .. ^~+~4'r~li4:`r'!..r:^A. ..fHH,rv,: .;j:r.:r r; ..fi`.>F.. r': :SS"J?r~rf. .::/:'v !.~. x r: r rHr• ,r r,:.?~f': r~{rfi,: {.~.:^:Yr'r. ::r~v: . { .e.'A.Yj+.:.nr~':.,.:yr,:..:it. ::vrr . .. r '•!":% .! ..+.rr: : .'k'i. 3f. ~ :%Y .r .r~ >G. r .n:/:rfr.:. y.,drr :pl t•r.'Y, .'%. r[..,fi..r..:>r.: :: .H:.r:?:f.r:'''k. :w!.;" ;::':. ::f:';.r,:.p;: : .~::•'dv. Notwithstanding the above-mentioned feelings, the INDEPENDENCE AT LAST day was a busy one in which hundreds of dignitaries by Shivute Usku Shivute from all over the world had come to celebrate with us and be the witnesses of the birth of a new nation . I The 21st of March, 1990, is a remarkable day in the wish all our supporters in our struggle for history of the Republic of Namibia . It marks the highest independence had been present to see that their turning point from colonialism to independence . We, support was not in vain. the Namibian nation, have been under oppression for more than a century . First under German colonialism For me in particular, it was my first experience to (1884-1915) and later under South African apartheid witness and enjoy to the full the highest national colonial rule (1915-March 21, 1990) . We celebrated our pride and unity of my beloved nation . As a teacher, I independence in a spirit of reconciliation as knew and taught the idea of national pride and unity advocated by our President Sam Nujoma, but with but I never experienced it practically . The 21st of mixed feelings of joyous exhilaration and painful March ushered me from abstract to concrete retrospective. experience of the term . It was for the first time in my life to notice with appreciation the richness, dignity On Independence Day we shouted freedom at the and value of our multi-cultural society . The top of our voices, but stopping intermittently to prick spontaneous twist of the dancers' physiques, the in- up our ears to listen whether our shouts were counter- stinctive artistic painting on the wall of the Katutura shouted back by some unknown voices, voices of Community Centre, the voluminous voices of solo those who want to sabatage our hard won singers and choirs in click, bantu and caucasoid independence in support of a hidden agenda languages mingled and were relics which intensified somewhere . We remembered the Kassinga Massacre, the enjoyment of the celebration. to mention one of many retrospective views . April 1st, 1989, in particular is ill-registered in our minds and it is On the 22nd of March, Christians gathered together too recent to be forgotten . at the Windhoek Stadium for the ecumenical worship service . They wanted to thank God for answering their prayers . Representatives from different Christian churches all over the world, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Rev . Jesse Jackson, expressed their thankfulness to God for accomplishing the long awaited independence and making it a reality . A multi-racial choir organized under the auspices of the Council of Churches in Namibia evidenced a good start in cooperation and unity of the Namibians . The entire independence celebration was peaceful and ended in even a better spirit of cooperation between different parties than was expected . I hope our nation can continue in such a good spirit. (continued on page 4) An "independent" Shivute family at home in Dobra, Namibia! Usko and Frieda Shivute studied in the U .S. at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, and the University of Minnesota . Their son Tala (now taller than Frieda) and daughter Tega (in front in the photo) have been joined by brother Tull since thier return to Namibia . Usko teaches at Dobra Secondary School and is currently working on a new history book for Namibia . Frieda works with the RRR Committee (Repatriation, Resettlement and Reconstruction). Staff Photo 3 r .f r x, u A ''j dr~~ j'f^f "v .r i i gaN . YJ a SEEDS: POEMS BY BEN ULENGA Edited by Annemarie Heywood and illustrated by John Liebenberg. Ben Ulenga's contributions to the liberation struggle are well known: a SWAPO fighter, a Robben Island prisoner, a leader of the emerging trade unions, and now a member of the National Assembly . Ulenga is also a poet. A central theme of this short collection is the almost unendurable suffering of the victims of the colonial occupation . Some are well known, such as "tall Anton" who "lies straddling freedom road," but others are too often forgotten.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • National Namibia Concerns ~ ~ 915 East 9Th Avenue· Denver, Colorado 80218 • (303) 830-2774
    National Namibia Concerns ~ ~ 915 East 9th Avenue· Denver, Colorado 80218 • (303) 830-2774 November 15, 1989 Dear friends, One Namibia! One nationl That has been the rallying cry for years as we worked to bring an end to South Africa's illegal occupation of Namibia. Last week, the Namibian people took a long step toward that goal, with their whole-hearted participation in elections that have been certified as "free and fair" by the United Nations. Enclosed are reports which show the final voting results as well as the names of the delegates from each party who will meet to draft the constitution for a free Namibia. There was surprise in some quarters about the size of the vote that went for the DTA--the South African supported political party. Indeed there were some anxious hours as the DTA actually led in the vote count until the ballots from Ovamboland came in. We feel that SWAPO's 57% was very good considering that the voter registration laws, drawn up by South Africa, permitted non-residents to vote, and that .thousands of South Africans and Angolans entered Namibia to vote for the DTA. Generally, there seems to be a feeling of rejoicing--as reflected in the statement by Bishop Kleopas Dumeni ...Joy that the elections have been held and thankfulness that there was so little violence during the week of voting. In a country that has known so much violence for so many years, the relative peacefulness of the past ten days is something that we hardly expected, and for which we are deeply grateful! We plan to publish a Namibia Newsletter within the next two weeks and hope to have more stories and pictures of the election week.
    [Show full text]
  • An Investigative Study on the Namibian Defence Force's Combat
    AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY ON THE NAMIBIAN DEFENCE FORCE’S COMBAT READINESS FOCUSING ON ALTERNATIVE POLICY OF TERMINATION AND RETENTION OF EXPERTISE IN THE MILITARY SERVICES A THESIS SUBMITED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN SECURITY AND STRATEGIC STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STUDIES BY APPOLOS NDAITWA HAIMBALA 200743112 Windhoek, April 2014 Main Supervisor: Dr. Lesley Blaauw i ABSTRACT National and international peace and security rely immensely on the perceived security dimension of combat readiness. As such, world nations frequently modernise their armed forces in order to achieve a sufficient level of competitive combat readiness in order to act as deterrence against external threats. These actions, however, frequently cause other nations to feel threatened which may result in them embarking on a build-up of the military at public expense. Nevertheless, combat readiness is a pre-requisite for a military’s ability to prevent attacks from a potential aggressor while simultaneously calling for the application of restraining measures in order to prevent wars. In light of the need for militaries to retain a sufficient level of competitive combat readiness, the general findings of this study suggest that there is a requirement to change the retirement condition within Namibia’s public service. This study aims to enlighten both military personnel and the general public on the country’s combat readiness, and ability to quickly deploy in war times. This study applied a qualitative research perspective which adopted a convenient stratified technique. Upon analysing the data, the study indicated that the absence of clear policies on retirement and retention of expertise in the military services hampers the effectiveness of military combat readiness in the Namibian Defence Force.
    [Show full text]
  • Spot the Difference3rd Edition Presidential and National Assembly Elections 2019
    SPOT THE DIFFERENCE3rd EDITION PRESIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2019 WHOGETS YOUR VOTE? MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION Empowered lives. Resilient nations. 2 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 2019 DISCLAIMER Between June and August, 2019, all seventeen political parties that were registered with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), had been engaged to complete an interview questionnaire. Provision for face-to-face interviews had been arranged to take place in the first two weeks of August for those parties that could not meet the submittal deadline for the completed questionnaire. The questionnaire incorporated six questions addressing topical, socio-economic and political issues that were formulated to ensure that the Namibian electorate would be assisted to make informed decisions during the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly Elections. The decision to profile 13 political parties in this publication was based on their willingness to respond to the interview questions. Considering that a three-month period had been specified and communicated to all 17 parties, no political party was subjected to discrimination nor deliberately excluded from being featured herein IMPRINT Coordinators: NID (Naita Hishoono, Pandu Nghipandulwa) HSF (Dr Clemens von Doderer, Susanne Scholz) NMH (Carolin Guriras) UNDP (Geraldine Itana) Spot the Difference Editor: Rakkel Andreas is an NID publication Layout and design: NMH funded by HSF and Printing: Newsprint Namibia UNDP Publication date: October 2019 This publication is published by the Namibia Media Holdings (Pty) Ltd SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 2019 3 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Prologue by the Chairperson of the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID), Mr Kavena Hambira (P4) 2. Foreword by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • Soutr#Yafrlca
    EPISCOPfnCHU~HMEN SOUTr#YAfRlCA \.4 W.st 11th SftH. • New York, N, y, loon phone, (2t2j 4iNJ066 - FDr A Free SOIItbem AMell- Eastertide 1977 SETTLEMENT IN NAMIBIA? Meetings between representatives of five Western powers and officials of the South African regime have stirred a rash of reports and rumours about a breakthrough in settling the issue of Namibian independence. None of the participants is saying very much, although there has been a flood of leaks, mainly from .sources close to the South African-sponsored Turnhalle conference in the Namibian capital of Windhoek. The burden of stories appearing in the Western press is that South African Prime Minist­ er' Balthazar Johannes Vorster has yielded to pressure from the five mem~ bers of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, West Germany and Canada - and that a number of concessions have been or ' are close to being made by the regime which illegally occupies the International Territory of Namibia in defiance of the lawful authority,the United Nations. There were two meetings in Cape Town in April, and future five power 'de­ marches' upon Vorster are forecast. US Vice President Walter Mondale is talking y.1ith the South African chieftain in Vienna on 19 May and US am­ bassador to the UN Andrew Young visits Johannesburg on 21 May. The UN conference on Zimbabwe and Namibia underway in the Mozambique capital of Maputo 16-21 May will exert an influence on events. London OBSERVER journalist David ~artin writes from Maputo that the 'un­ derstanding' between the West and Vorster includes: - Pretoria's acceptance of 'an internationally acceptable solution' and the principle of UN involvement in nation-wide elections in Namibia 'held under universal suffrage without literacy qualifications'.
    [Show full text]
  • FES-Study 2003 the SECURITY SECTOR and the STATE IN
    FES-Study 2003 THE SECURITY SECTOR AND THE STATE IN NAMIBIA – AN EXPLORATION Andre du Pisani* 1. Introduction It is now widely acknowledged in the literature that an understanding of the security sector provides important insights into the nature of the state. As social and political constructs, the state and the security sector are intimately connected, both at the operational and at the level of ideas and images. Also, significant dimensions of security, development and governance can be rendered more meaningful if the security sector itself is properly understood. Firmly embedded within the imagery and operations of the state, the security sector and its transformation, has recently emerged as an important area of research. The growing scholarly interest in security sector transformation in different regions of the world has been preceded by a widening of the concept of security. Security is now understood as multidimensional and interdependent, with environmental, social, economic and human security dimensions, among others. While the broadening of the concept of security has validity - if only to emphasise that ultimately the referent for security should be people and not states, and to remind policy-makers of resource allocation priorities – there is also a danger that the vital issues associated with the more traditional security sector will escape scholarly attention. In this context, the security sector is defined as the defence, policing and intelligence functions of the state, and the management of ‘threats to and breaches of the peace’ through multilateral and bilateral processes. 1.2 The Security Sector defined Traditionally, as mentioned above, the security sector has been defined to include the armed forces, police and intelligence services, together with their policy and administrative structures 1].
    [Show full text]
  • National Assembly Performance
    Institute for Public Policy Research Not Speaking Out: Measuring National Assembly Performance By Ellison Tjirera and Graham Hopwood IPPR Comment No. 4 September 2009 This paper analyses the amount of contributions that members of the National Assembly made to parliamentary debate from September 2005 to October 2007 as one indicator of parliamentary performance. Although it has been speculated that some members of the National Assembly contribute very little to debates on bills and motions, as far as the IPPR is aware no research since independence has actually sought to quantify how much MPs contribute to debates in the House. The principal measure used for this research paper was the number of lines each MP contributed to debate in the Hansard – the official record of parliament. Originally, the IPPR had hoped to examine Hansard from the inception of the current parliament in 2005 until mid-2009. However, this has proved impossible because Hansard is not available from October 2007 onwards since editions have not been published since then. For this reason this analysis is based on a two-year period from September 2005 to early October 2007, which was felt to be a long enough period to make an assessment of how much MPs contributed to debate. The methodology used by this research paper is restricted solely to the amount of lines that MPs have contributed to the official record of parliamentary proceedings. No attempt is made to assess the quality of those contributions as this would involve highly subjective value judgements. This paper also does not attempt to assess how MPs may contribute to other aspects of parliamentary life, for example the committee system.
    [Show full text]
  • The Namibian Defence Force from 1990–2005
    Evolutions10a.qxd 2005/09/28 12:08 PM Page 199 CHAPTER EIGHT Promoting national reconciliation and regional integration: The Namibian Defence Force from 1990–2005 Gwinyayi Dzinesa & Martin Rupiya INTRODUCTION The colonial experience in Namibia was brutal and harsh. For the purposes of this chapter—which seeks to document the post-colonial military history of Namibia—a brief discussion of events spanning the period circa 1884 to independence in 1990 is essential. HISTORIC OVERVIEW The geography of Namibia is unique in the Southern African region. With a total land mass of 825,418 km², Namibia’s climate is hot and dry, measuring the lowest rainfall in the region, with large parts of the country being desert. Only 1% of the land area is arable, confined to the north, with 46% pastures and 22% forests and wood. The rest is harsh, rocky and dry.1 Namibia has a 1,572 km Atlantic Ocean coastline along its western edge on which a number of harbours and ports have been established; these include Oranjemund, Ludertiz, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. While the country lacks vegetation and is hilly and sparse, it contains a generous range of minerals from diamonds, copper, uranium and gold, to lead, tin, lithium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, suspected oil deposits, coal and iron. The area first witnessed European interest from Portuguese explorers in the late 15th century, followed by Afrikaner traders during the 17th century, and German missionaries and traders dealing in ivory and cattle at the turn of the 19th century. Their presence was later followed by a 199 Evolutions10a.qxd 2005/09/28 12:08 PM Page 200 200 Evolutions & Revolutions growing trade in diamonds and copper.
    [Show full text]
  • 3. Political Parties and Personalities in Namibia
    Donor Support of Opposition parties in Namibia Donor support of opposition parties in Namibia. How foreign support for parties effects democracy in a new democracy. By: Karl Wagner Karl Wagner 1 Donor Support of Opposition parties in Namibia Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………4 Democratic Support………………………………………………………………..16 Political systems and parties: prevailing African democratic conditions…………. 27 Political Parties and Personalities in Namibia……………………………………...40 Namibian electoral systems and elections………………………………………….65 Support, past and present…………………………………………………………..87 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………101 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….108 Karl Wagner 2 Donor Support of Opposition parties in Namibia Photograph copyright Tony Figueira, courtesy The Namibian Karl Wagner 3 Donor Support of Opposition parties in Namibia Introduction: Questions have emerged in academic and political discussions about the relevance and effectiveness of foreign donor support of opposition parties in democracies that emerged or re-emerged since the Cold War. They concern the effects of foreign support on political systems and democracy itself. Finally, tyring gauge how effective support is on particular countries? In a global historical context, political party support has been a favoured instrument of European and North American governments in foreign policy. Forms of support vary, the more visible and noticeable normally being military assistance to countries like South Vietnam, Taiwan and Guatemala. During the Cold
    [Show full text]
  • Guerrilla Warfare in Namibia and Associated Implications for External Military Involvement
    GUERRILLA WARFARE IN NAMIBIA AND ASSOCIATED IMPLICATIONS FOR EXTERNAL MILITARY INVOLVEMENT Michael Shannon McCraty if, CA I^^^H NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS GUERRILLA WARFARE IN NAMIBIA AND /iSSOCIATED IMPLICATIONS FOR EXTERNAL MILITARY INVOLVEMENT by Michael Shannon Mc C rary March 1979 Thesis Advisor: 3arry M. Schutz Approved for public release; distribution unlimited T188645 SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE (Whan Data Entarad) READ INSTRUCTIONS REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE BEFORE COMPLETING FORK 1. REPORT NUUlt* 2. GOVT ACCESSION NO. I. RECIPIENT' J CAT AI.OG MuMREA 4. TITLE tand Subtltla) 5- type of report ttmoo covered Guerrilla Warfare in Namibia and Master's Thesis; Associated Implications for External March, 1979 Military Involvement S. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT xuMICK 7. AUTHORfa; • . CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMSCAVa Michael Shannon McCrary t. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME ANO ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROj£C~ ASK AREA a WORK UNIT NUMBERS Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California 939^0 It. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME ANO AOORESS 12. REPORT DATE Naval Postgraduate School March 1979 Monterey, California 939^0 I). NUMBER OF PAGES 14. MONITORING AGENCY NAME a ADDRESS/!/ dlllarant from Controlling Otll ea) IS. SECURITY CLASS. Co/ rftla ra>orr; Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California 939^0 ISa. DECLASSIFICATION/ DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE 16. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (ol thla Kapert) Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 17. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (ol tha amatrmet antarad In Black 20, II dlllarant tram Raport) IS. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES It. KEY WORDS (Continua on raaaraa aida II naeaaaarr and Idantlty by block numaar t 20. ABSTRACT (Continua on ravaraa aida It naeaaaarr and Idantltr ay block numaar) There have been few unclassified attempts within the United States, if any, to document the guerrilla war in Namibia in its totality.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Perceptions of the Namibian Defence Force: An
    PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF THE NAMIBIAN DEFENCE FORCE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE KHOMAS REGION A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN SECURITY AND STRATEGIC STUDIES IN THE FACULTY OF ECONOMIC AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA BY LINUS SHIIMI NAHOLE 200342584 FEBRUARY 2013 MAIN SUPERVISOR: PROF. P.H. VAN ROOYEN ii ABSTRACT The study was carried out to gauge the public’s perception of the Namibian Defence Force under the title “Public Perceptions of the Namibian Defence Force: An Explanatory Study of the Khomas Region”. The objectives of the study were to identify the roles played by the Namibian Defence Force in promoting public trust and the challenges it faced in promoting this trust; to assess the perceptions and knowledge of the people in the Khomas Region regarding the roles of the Namibian Defence Force in promoting public trust; and to recommend measures needed to overcome the identified challenges. The research conducted a theoretical study and then carried out a survey in the concerned area. The study used a questionnaire and the responses were collected and analysed.The main finding of the study was that the public is not fully aware of the need for the Namibian Defence Force in times of peace. Most of the respondents saw the Namibian Defence Force as a waste of state funds and they had not really benefited from its existence. Some respondents were not aware of the activities of the Namibian Defence Force. The recommendations of the study were that the Namibian Defence Force needs to educate the community to stimulate awareness of their activities and to improve public relations education among the soldiers.
    [Show full text]
  • Defence Act 1 of 2002 (GG 2749) Brought Into Force on 15 July 2002 by GN 109/2002 (GG 2765)
    Defence Act 1 of 2002 (GG 2749) brought into force on 15 July 2002 by GN 109/2002 (GG 2765) as amended by Correctional Service Act 9 of 2012 (GG 5008) brought into force on 1 January 2014 by GN 330/2013 (GG 5365) ACT To provide for the defence of Namibia and for matters incidental thereto. (Signed by the President on 22 May 2002) ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY Section 1. Definitions CHAPTER II COMPOSITION AND ORGANIZATION OF DEFENCE FORCE 2. Continued existence and composition of Defence Force 3. Organization of Defence Force 4. Executive command and functions and removal of Chief of the Defence Force CHAPTER III TRAINING AND SERVICE 5. Liability for training and service Republic of Namibia 2 Annotated Statutes Defence Act 1 of 2002 CHAPTER IV MEMBERS OF DEFENCE FORCE 6. Appointment of officers and other ranks 7. Qualifications of members of Defence Force 8. Appointment of officers 9. Discharge of members from Defence Force 10. Member of Defence Force not eligible for certain offices CHAPTER V ADMINISTRATION AND GENERAL POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT, THE MINISTER AND OFFICERS 11. Establishment of Council of Defence 12. Establishment of Defence Staff Council 13. Establishment of military commands, areas, headquarters, arms of the service, formations, units and personnel musterings 14. General powers of Minister 15. Military training institutions 16. Areas for training 17. Auxiliary services 18. Medical service 19. Reserve force 20. Application of laws governing the Public Service to members of Defence Force and auxiliary services, medical service and reserve force 21. Commission 22. Retirement of officers and other ranks 23.
    [Show full text]
  • Namibian Politics – Nothing but SWAPO?
    Namibian Politics – Nothing but SWAPO? Prepared by Herbert Jauch for the NALEDI Policy Bulletin, May 2008 Since independence, Namibia’s political landscape is dominated by the former liberation movement SWAPO. The ruling party comfortably controls both houses of parliament after obtaining almost 80% of the vote, and is also still able to draw large crowds to its public rallies. By contrast, the political influence of both opposition parties and civil society organisations is in sharp decline. Namibia’s largest trade union federation, the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) is an affiliate of the SWAPO party, staunchly supporting the mother body. SWAPO’s history SWAPO history is closely linked to the struggle of migrant workers. It was formed in 1960 out of the Ovamboland People’s Organisation (OPO), which had campaigned against the exploitation of migrant workers and colonial occupation. The change from OPO to SWAPO signified the attempt to build a national resistance movement instead of being restricted to the Northern regions of “Ovamboland”, where about half the Namibian population resided. The regions known as “Ovamboland” were retained by the colonial administration as “communal areas”, characterised by subsistence agriculture. They were also the main source of migrant labour for the mines, farms, railways and fishing companies. Thus, SWAPO was always deeply rooted in the rural areas of the Northern regions as well as in the emerging urban working class that retained strong links with the rural areas until this day. During the liberation struggle, SWAPO won a major diplomatic victory when it was recognised by the United Nations as the “sole and authentic” representative of the Namibian people.
    [Show full text]