Namibia Patriotic WarThe Namibia Patriotic War was fulled by the German colonialists and other agents of imperialism who seized Namibia and raped the whole nation in search of raw materials and the expansion of their foreign markets. German occupation of Namibia was meant for and led to:
5. Negation and falsification of our history and destruction of culture and social institutions. 6. Genocide, as a matter of policy and practice, forced exiling of patriots and the violent suppression of the people’s anti colonial resistance. 7.Incorporation of Namibia’s colonial economy into the emerging international capitalist system. These were the root causes of the Namibia Patriotic War in Namibia. With the passage of time and the intensification of the instruments of exploitation and repression, the conditions under which the Namibian people were forced to live had gone from bad to worse. The war for the Liberation struggle of Namibia intensified until Namibia eventually gained her long awaited independence on 21 March 1990.
Swapo’s Strategy during the Liberation Struggle of NamibiaSwapo’s strategy and tactics were designed in such a way that the struggle was carried out simultaneously in the political, military and diplomatic fields. This involved three separate but organically complementary fronts. 1. The first statergy of the Namibia Patriotic War is the political or the home front, where the Namibian people themselves, having assumed the responsibility as their own liberators, are carrying on a militant resistance against colonial and illegal occupation. 2. The second was the international front. It represented international solidarity and co-operation. Its importance is consequential to the struggle internationally and anticipates the next stage of the struggle, this front is a vital link between the political and the military fronts. 3. On the basis of the all-round, concrete material assistance and political support rendered by its allies and friends, Swapo was able to launch and sustain an armed struggle, which is the third front. The first (political) and the third (military) fronts were the exclusive domain of the Namibian patriots. These guaranteed Namibians to be the masters of their own actions and must decide on the burning questions of what, when, how and why concerning the overall struggle. Historically this has always been the case both political activity and armed resistance were used against the German colonialists. But the struggle that won us our freedom had an added advantage, the internationalist dimension. Unlike our fore bearers who found themselves under the very trying circumstances of having to fight in isolation against the powerful forces of colonial imperialism. Organised in guerrilla formation of skilled and mobile marksmen and basing themselves among their people and in inaccessible mountain fortresses, our anti-colonial fore fathers were able to wage historic battles for liberation. In doing so they set lofty examples of anti-colonial militancy which served as a source of profound inspiration to the liberation struggle of Namibia, combatants who have assimilated that proud tradition of anti-imperialism and resumed in 1966, the people’s march to liberation through armed resistance. This march was started by witbooi at Hoornkrans in 1892 and continued by Maharero, Morenga, Morris, Mandume Ndemufayo and others in the subsequent decades. The Ovambo were least affected by the German colonial period as they fought fiercely to keep the Germans out of their territory and the Germans already had their hands full with trying to control the Nama and Herero resistance.
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