Meetings uniting thousands of Namibians have been held throughout the territory to demand independence under UN Resolution 435. The rallies, organised by religious, women's, youth and political groups and the liberation movement SWAPO, form part of a campaign of action by churches and other organisations.
Plans for the campaign were drawn up at the end of April when 16 Namibian organisations signed the Ai-Gams Declaration, committing them to a nationwide mobilisation against the South African occupation of their country. (See FOCUS 65, pp.1-2)
The campaign was launched at a public meeting in Katutura outside Windhoek at the end of May. It was due to have been addressed by Rev Frank CHIKANE, a leader of the United Democratic Front in South Africa, but he was prevented from entering Namibia by an order signed by the chairman of the South African installed Multi-Party Conference (MPC) administration in Windhoek. (See FOCUS 64 p.4) An attempt to show a video recording of Chikane at a Katutura church was also thwarted when the tape was confiscated by the police. (WA 27.5.86; Nam 30.5.86)
The first major event supported by the Ai-Gams Action Committee was a procession on 1 June to mark the traditional Catholic feast of Corpus Christi. A leaflet issued by the committee declared: 'Much is being done by an illegal and foreign occupying power to divide and dominate us... in the same way we are united in the Body of Christ, so too do we claim our rights to be united in a free and truly independent Namibia through the immediate implementation of ... Resolution 435'. (Nam 30.5.86)
Several thousand people participated in the march in Windhoek, which was described by the Anglican Bishop of Namibia, Rt Rev James Kauluma, as 'a turning point in the history of the church and of the people of Namibia'. A similar event in the northern town of Tsumeb attracted about 1,500 people. The Windhoek procession was prohibited by the MPC administration but after an appeal by the Catholic church the ban was lifted by the Windhoek Supreme Court only hours before the march was due to start. Smear pamphlets distorting the purpose of the event were distributed and at one point a group of MPC supporters beat up a photographer and attempted to block the progress of the procession (Nam 30.5.86, 6.6.86; WA 2.6.86)
Two weeks later thousands of Namibians were drawn to rallies to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the uprisings which began in Soweto, South Africa. Meetings addressed by SWAPO and other signatories to the Ai-Gams Declaration were held in Katutura and the southern towns of Keetmanshoop and Karasburg. A thousand-strong meeting, jointly organised by SWAPO and the Damara Council, was also held in western Namibia at Arandis. This was the first large-scale rally in the area since the 1970s, when bans were imposed on SWAPO meetings and the leadership inside the country was arrested. (WA 16.6.86; Nam 20.6.86)
In subsequent weeks further large Ai-Gams rallies, addressed by SWAPO leaders, were held in Windhoek and Tsumeb. A representative of the MPC administration, Dr Lukas de Vries, accused one of the most significant of the Ai-Gams signatories, the Council of Churches, of being a 'diabolical' front for SWAPO. The liberation movement, he stated, had engaged in a 'brutal blasphemy' by using religious occasions and the churches to spread its 'propaganda'. He issued a threat to the Council of Churches, saying that it 'should not be surprised if it gets the same treatment as SWAPO'. (WA 5/26/30.6.86)
'TOWARDS AN EQUAL EDUCATION'
Against a background of continuing conflict in Namibian schools and educational institutions, the second annual conference of the Namibia National Students' Organisation (NANSO) was held in early July under banners proclaiming 'Towards an Equal Education' and 'Relevant Education for All'. Over 200 delegates attended, representing 14 secondary schools in Namibia as well as Namibian students studying at universities in other Southern African countries. (WA 2.7.86; Nam 4.7.86)
The congress reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to the Ai-Gams declaration and to campaigning for the implementation of Resolution 435. It demanded the introduction of democratic Student Representative Councils to replace the existing prefect system at secondary schools and the use of English as the medium of instruction in Namibian schools instead of Afrikaans. Plans were drawn up to involve pupils at Namibian primary schools in the organisation, and to unite Namibian students 'from the Caprivi to the Cape'. (WA 2.7.86; Nam 11.7.86)
The NANSO congress condemned the detention of several students from the Augustineum college, after alleged incidents of arson following boycotts and clashes with police. (See FOCUS 65 pp.1-2)
The NANSO conference ended with a public rally in Katutura, which at one stage was surrounded by police in Casspir armoured personnel carriers. The NANSO president, Paul Kalenga, told the crowd: 'We have had enough of our schools being used as recruitment centres for a colonial army, we have had enough of indoctrination, false propaganda, brainwashing and injustices in our education, we have had enough of principals and teachers who are being used ... to sow the seeds of racism, hatred and exploitation.' (Nam 11.7.86)
MILITARY BASES ATTACKED
The public mobilisation throughout Namibia in support of the liberation struggle has been accompanied by an intensification in the armed struggle. An offensive by guerillas of the Peoples' Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) was kept up throughout the first half of the year. (See FOCUS 65 p.2)
Several major PLAN operations took place during May and June. According to a statement issued by SWAPO, on 23 May PLAN fighters attacked and destroyed a South African military base at Okahao in the Ongandjera area of northern Namibia. It was also reported that two days earlier a C-160 military transport aircraft had been shot down by PLAN anti-aircraft rockets in the northern war zone. This was the third South African aircraft brought down in less than a month, as two DC3 aircraft had been downed previously. (BBC 31.5.86, 3.6.86)
On 22 June PLAN mounted a rocket attack on the garrison town of Oshakati, one of the largest military bases in the war zone. Despite a clampdown on information about the operation, it is evident that considerable damage was done to the base. At the end of June attacks were carried out on the Eenhana and Nkongo bases, which military spokesmen dismissed as 'totally unsuccessful'. SWAPO, however, stated that the surprise night attacks had led to many deaths. (WA 23.6.86, 4.7.86; Star 24.6.86; WO 28.6.86; BBC 5.7.86; S Star 6.7.86)
A number of PLAN operations cut power and water supplies to northern towns and destroyed communications. Ruacana, Oshikuku, Oshakati and Ondangua were all affected at various times, and at the end of June a sabotage operation was carried out against the Ruacana hydroelectric station. Railway lines to Windhoek were also sabotaged. (MS 25/27.6.86; BBC 26.6.86; WO 28.6.86)
