Africa-Press – Namibia. Adolf Kaure
Swapo Party President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged party leaders and members to remain guided by the values and principles that have sustained the movement for over six decades.
She was speaking to more than 1 000 people during the party’s 66th anniversary celebrations, which also marked the official inauguration of the new Swapo Party headquarters in Katutura on Sunday.
“Since its formation, Swapo has clear aims and objectives stipulated in our party constitution,” she said.
“As your President, I want to remind you, comrades, that those aims and objectives remain valid today as they were 66 years ago,” Nandi-Ndaitwah stated. She called on members to demonstrate courage, commitment and integrity in implementing the party’s founding objectives. “Once we follow them, they will be able to take our people out of poverty and bring prosperity. That can only be done when we are united, honest and act with integrity as per our party constitution,” she said.
Reflection
The Swapo President reflected on the party’s central role in Namibia’s liberation struggle.
She said it represented the collective aspirations of all Namibians during the fight against South African apartheid rule.
“As a national liberation movement, Swapo represented all Namibians in the struggle for independence. That was a decisive moment when the founding members took this mission seriously, and the rest is shared history,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah added that Swapo’s 66 years of existence reflect a consistent commitment to the aspirations of the Namibian people.
“We honour those who shaped the party in the past and we continue to build on their legacy,” she said.
Multiple fronts
Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that the liberation struggle was fought on political, diplomatic and military fronts, with each playing a critical role in achieving independence. “Under the leadership of comrade Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, our Founding President and Father of the Namibian nation, Swapo became a movement of all generations,” she said.
She said Namibia was compelled into armed resistance due to the refusal of the apartheid regime to grant self-determination. “The political and diplomatic fronts were essential, but the military front became decisive because it was the language the enemy understood best,” she said. She added that independence was achieved through significant sacrifices made by Namibians.
“The dividends of those sacrifices are the freedom and independence enjoyed by all Namibians today, regardless of which side they were on. This informed our policy of national reconciliation at independence,” she said.
Post-independence reflection
The Swapo President stressed that the liberation war was not a choice, but a necessity imposed on Namibians. “Namibian people did not choose war. They were forced into it. But today, we can be proud that we defeated one of the strongest military forces on the continent at the time,” she said. She credited Swapo and its leadership for guiding the struggle to success.
“As we celebrate 66 years, we reflect on a struggle that began under injustice and required courage when hope was limited. It turned ordinary men and women into builders of freedom,” she said. However, she cautioned that independence must be measured by its impact on citizens’ daily lives.
“It is equally important to ask whether that freedom is felt in the daily lives of our people. It is our responsibility as Swapo members to ensure that it is,” she said.
Generational vision
Swapo Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa outlined the long-standing vision behind the construction of the new party headquarters.
“This dream started as far back as 1992 when leaders proposed that Swapo, as a liberation movement, should have a national headquarters befitting its standing in Namibian society,” she said. She stated former presidents and party leaders, including Hifikepunye Pohamba, Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, Pendukeni Ivula-Itana and Nangolo Mbumba, played a key role in driving fundraising efforts for the project.
“This was a generational vision. It was not for themselves, but for future generations, especially the youth,” she said.
Shaningwa added that the completion of the building represented the fulfilment of a long-held dream. “Most of the leaders who initiated this vision are no longer with us, but their dream has culminated in this tall, iconic building. I believe they are smiling wherever they are,” she said. She added that the headquarters will serve as a central hub for the party’s socio-economic and political coordination. “The trajectory of Namibia’s socio-economic development will be driven from this headquarters,” she said. Shaningwa also thanked Swapo-owned companies and members who contributed financially through membership subscriptions and the one percent contribution towards the project.
“I wish to emphasise that the construction of our revolutionary home would not have been possible without the support of Swapo companies and loyal members,” she said.
She called on businesses renting office space in the building to maintain it, and urged members of the public to respect the facility.
The construction of the new Swapo Party headquarters began on 6 June 2019.
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