Basic HTML Version
DELEGATES
from South West
A
frica
's
11
population groups
assemble in the
Turnhalle
in
Windhoek to chart the course
toward future nationhood. Pic–
tured here also are leaders of 4
of
11
delegations represented
at the Constitutional Confer–
ence: the Ovambos and Col–
oured (left) . the Hereros and
whites (right). Pressure
is
on
the conference to draft in the
shortest poss1ble time a consti–
tution guaranteeing not only
minority rights but a/so political
responsibi/Jty
m
a
free soc1ety.
\
··-
SOUTH WESTAFRICA-RACINGA
The Constitutional Confer–
ence in Windhoek has an–
nounced that an independent
multiracial government is at–
tainable for South West Africa
by the end of 1978. The big
question: Wi/1 the United Na–
tions and the major powers
/et South West African efforts
succeed?
by
Herman
L.
Hoeh
The author recently visited South
Wes-t Africa for a firstlwnd /ook
at conditions there. This is the
conc/usion ofhis report, begun in
the September issue ofThe
Plain
Truth.
1
t is the most significan! news to
have come out of Windhoek, the
capital of South West Africa , in
30 years. The 11 population groups
assembled at the Constitu tional
Conference hav e achieved what
may be a first in modero history . By
consensus - unanimous agreemen t.
not mere majority approval - the
20
delegates have agreed that an inde–
pendent, multiracial government
should be established not later than
December 3 1, 1978. An interim gov–
ernment is pla nned for sometime in
1977 to facilitate transfer of power
from South Africa to an indepen–
dent South West Africa. The major
concern now is whether terrorism.
United Nations pressure. and big
power politics wi ll prevent emer–
gence of a free government.
Furthcr, the South West Africa
People's Organization (SWAPO),
despite its terrorist activities and op–
position to the conference, has been
invited to be the proposcd new gov–
ernment's political opposition. This
adroit move is a final e ffort to en–
courage international recognition
and gua rantees for the territory of
South West Africa. o r Namibia.
The Bitter Attitude of SWAPO
In contras! to the constructive en–
deavors of the assembled represen–
ta ti ve s at the Constitutional
Conference in Windhoek, the presi–
dent of SWAPO. Mr. Sam Nujoma.
issued a bilter declaration in Lu –
sa ka , Zambia, in July . He an-
nounced that his organiza ti on has
declared "total war" against the
"puppet government" of African tri–
bal chiefs and other representatives
at the Windhoek conference. "These
lreacherous e lements are busy lob–
byi ng and putling pressure on
SWAPO lo talk." Nujoma decl a red.
following an invilation from confer–
ence representalives. "SWAPO is
lhe on ly legitimate representative of
N am ib ian people, and lhe armed
struggle wi ll continue lO be waged
se riously until full independence is
ach ieved," he warned.
Nujoma's SWAPO has ncvcr won
a free e lection . ll is, in facl , only one
of 20 polilically active parties in eth–
nica lly divided South West Africa.
The success o f the Constitutional
Conference thus far is due in no
small degrec to ubordinating politi–
cal party differences and focusing
sq uarely on the needs and aspira–
tions of thc 11 population groups
comprising South West Africa.
The contras! bctween Mr. Nu–
joma's acrimon ious denunciations
and the appea l to prayer and reason
by Dr. B. J . Africa. for example,
ought to cometo the atten tion of the
The
PLAIN TRUTH November 1976