During the nineteen-fifties, South Africa’s continued administration of its old mandate area, South West Africa, were criticised more and more. The issue was almost continually on the agenda of the UN and later also on that of the OAU and some other international organisations. The case was even presented to the International Court in Den Haag. Connected herewith was the condemning of the principle of separate development, a principle which was also maintained amongst the nations of South West Africa.

The political climate under these conditions inside South West Africa led to the forming of a number of political parties and organisations, of which three, SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation), SWANU (South West Africa National Union) and CANU (Caprivi African National Union) resorted to violence. Of the three, SWAPO became the most important.

The origin of SWAPO can be traced to...