Catalogue Number
NMLH.2025.26.6
Object Name
poster
Title
'19th April 1960 - Founding of SWAPO. Forward to freedom in unity!'
Place
Namibia, South West Africa (former name), South Africa
People
SWAPO (South West Africa People's Organisation), Ovamboland People's Organisation, Sam Nujoma
Events
South African apartheid regime 1948-1994, Namibian independence 1990
Description
A poster with a background of diagonal blue, red and green stripes (the colours of the Namibian flag) The central image is a black and white illustration of a crowd of Black people protesting. Many are in industrial workers clothing. Above the crowd are two guns - one with a bayonet attachment, and three raised fists. A photograph of SWAPO president Sam Nujoma is superimposed over the illustration. White text at the bottom reads: '19th April 1960 - Founding of SWAPO. Forward to freedom in unity!'
Namibia was colonised by Germany in 1884 as South West Africa. After the First World War, the League of Nations confiscated all German colonies and South West Africa was transferred to British rule and functionally treated as a province of neighbouring British colony South Africa. When South Africa gained independence and instituted an apartheid regime in 1948, the same rules were applied to Namibia, subjugating Black Namibians under white minority rule. SWAPO (South West African People's Organisation) was founded on 19 April 1960 to campaign for Namibian independence. It replaced the Ovamboland People's Organisation which was specific to a single ethnic group - SWAPO by comparison aimed to represent all Namibians.
In 1966, SWAPO began an armed guerrilla resistance against South Africa, known as the Namibian War of Independence. SWAPO was recognised by the United Nations as the 'sole legitimate representative' of Namibia's people in 1973. The independence war continued until 1990. SWAPO president Sam Nujoma became Namibia's first president, and SWAPO candidates have continued to hold the presidency ever since. Their political ideology is socialist, described as Marxist-Leninist until 1990, and socialist with a "Namibian character" in the present day.
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