The South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO/ˈswɑːpoʊ/; Afrikaans: Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; German: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa). Founded in 1960, it has been the governing party in Namibia since the country achieved independence in 1990. The party continues to be dominated in number and influence by the Ovambo ethnic group.
SWAPO held a two-thirds majority in parliament from 1994 to 2019. In the general election held in November 2019, the party won 65.5% of the popular vote and 63 out of the 104 seats in the National Assembly. It also holds 28 out of the 42 seats in the National Council. From November 2017 until his death in February 2024, Namibian PresidentHage Geingob remained the president of SWAPO after being elected to the position at the party's electoral congress.[14]
SWAPO was founded on 19 April 1960 as the successor of the Ovamboland People's Organization. Leaders renamed the party to show that it represented all Namibians. But, the organisation had its base among the Ovambo people of northern Namibia, who constituted nearly half the total population.[18]
One important factor in the fight for independence was the 1971-72 Namibian contract workers strike, which fought for the elimination of the contract labor system and independence from South Africa. An underlying goal was the promotion of independence under SWAPO leadership.[20][21]
In 1973, the United Nations General Assembly recognised SWAPO as the 'sole legitimate representative' of Namibia's people.[22] The Norwegian government began giving aid directly to SWAPO in 1974.[23]
When Namibia gained its independence in 1990, SWAPO became the dominant political party. Though the organisation rejected the term South West Africa and preferred to use Namibia, the organisation's original name—derived from the territory's old name—was too deeply rooted in the independence movement to be changed. However, the original full name is no longer used; only the acronym remains.[18] SWAPO, and with it much of Namibia's government and administration, continues to be dominated by the Ovambo ethnic group, despite "considerable efforts to counter [that] perception".[24]
SWAPO president Sam Nujoma was declared Namibia's first President after SWAPO won the inaugural election in 1989. A decade later, Nujoma had the constitution changed so he could run for a third term in 1999, as it limits the presidency to two terms.[citation needed]
In 2004, the SWAPO presidential candidate was Hifikepunye Pohamba, described as Nujoma's hand-picked successor.[25][26] In 2014, the SWAPO presidential candidate was Hage Geingob, who was the vice-president of SWAPO. In 2019 presidential election, president Geingob won his second five-year term as Namibian president.[27]
SWAPO election campaign vehicle
Ideology
SWAPO was founded with the aim of attaining the independence of Namibia and therefore is part of the African nationalist movement. Pre-independence it had a socialist,[5]Marxist–Leninist[10] ideology, which was not immediately abandoned when independence was achieved in 1990 and SWAPO became the ruling party.[28] Officially, however, it adopted a social democratic ideology, until the electoral congress in 2017 approved the official change to socialism with a "Namibian character",[4] although some Namibians have labeled the change as lacking a "grass-roots" nature.[29]
The party president is the top position of SWAPO; in 2012 this was held by Namibia's former president Pohamba. The vice-president was Namibia's former president Hage Geingob, who was elected to that position in 2007 and reconfirmed at the SWAPO congress in December 2012, until his death on 4 February 2024. The third highest position in SWAPO is the secretary-general, a position held in December 2012 by Nangolo Mbumba. Number four is the deputy secretary-general, Omaheke governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua.[31]
The politburo of SWAPO is a body that currently[update] consists of 29 members for the period 2022-2027 (including party president, former party president, secretary general, deputy secretary general, members appointed by the party president and members elected by the SWAPO central committee for the period).[32]
Although SWAPO receives finances from government for its operations, the party also holds extensive business interests. Through Kalahari Holdings, it entered into joint ventures with several companies, most prominently the Namibian branch of MultiChoice, a private satellite TV provider, of which it owns 51%. Kalahari Holdings has further joint ventures with Radio Energy, Africa Online, and businesses in the tourism, farming, security services and health insurance sectors. It owns Namib Contract Haulage, Namprint, Kudu Investments and the Ndilimani Cultural Troupe.[34][35]
Namibia Today was the mouthpiece of the SWAPO,[36] and Asser Ntinda was its editor. The paper does not appear to have been active since 7 April 2011[37] and closed down in 2015.[38]
Human rights abuses
Various groups have claimed that SWAPO committed serious human rights abuses against suspected spies during the independence struggle. Since the early 21st century, they have pressed the government more strongly on this issue. Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS) is one of the groups founded by people who were detained by SWAPO during the war and abused during interrogations.[39][40] In 2004, BWS alleged that "In exile, hundreds of SWAPO dependants and members were detained, tortured and killed without trial."[41] SWAPO denies serious infractions and claims anything that did happen was in the name of liberation. Because of a series of successful South African raids, the SWAPO leadership believed that spies existed in the movement. Hundreds of SWAPO cadres were imprisoned, tortured and interrogated.[42]
^"Klaus Dierks Chronology". klausdierks.com. Retrieved 13 April 2025. The OPO's reconstitution as SWAPO is triggered by national leaders such as Sam Nujoma, Mburumba Kerina, Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo, Jacob Kuhangua, Solomon Mifima, Paul Helmuth, Andreas Shipanga, Erasmus Erastus Mbumba, Emil Appolus, Maxton Joseph Mutongulume and Carlos Hamatu
^ abWhiting, Nicky (9 February 2015). "Sand, San and sacred lands". Global. Global-briefing.org. Retrieved 25 February 2025. Swapo was originally a communist party but, in common with many other far-left ruling parties in other parts of Africa, it has moved to the centre and now supports private ownership, enterprise and investment.
^Dreyer, Ronald (1994). Namibia and Southern Africa: Regional Dynamics of Decolonization, 1945-90. London: Kegan Paul International. pp. 73–87, 100–116. ISBN978-0710304711.
^Williams, Christian (October 2015). National Liberation in Postcolonial Southern Africa: A Historical Ethnography of SWAPO's Exile Camps. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 73–89. ISBN978-1107099340.
^Immanuel, Shinovene; Shipanga, Selma (3 December 2012). "Moderates prevail". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
^"Namibia Today (01 April 2011 - 07 April 2011)". SWAPO. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2024. Overview with hyperlinks to news articles in weekly of Namibia Today issues from August 7, 2009 - April 7, 2011.
Example SWAPO Party Youth League web page. "Latest from the SPYL Frontlines". spyl.org. SWAPO Party Youth League. 28 August 2012. Archived from the original on 28 August 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
