South West Africa

This article is about the South African colony. For the original German colony, see German South West Africa. For other uses, see South West Africa (disambiguation).

South West Africa (Afrikaans: Suidwes-Afrika; German: Südwestafrika; Dutch: Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1975), Botswana (Bechuanaland before 1966), South Africa, and Zambia (Northern Rhodesia before 1964).

Territory of South West Africa Suidwes-Afrika (Afrikaans) Südwestafrika (German) Zuidwest-Afrika (Dutch)
1915–1990
Top: Flag (1915–1928)^[a] Bottom: Flag (1928–1990) Coat of arms (1963–1980)
Motto: Viribus Unitis (Latin for "With United Forces")
Anthem: "God Save the King" (1915–52); "God Save the Queen" (1952–57)^[b] "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" (1938–90)^[1] (English: "The Call of South Africa")
Location of South West Africa (light green) within South Africa (dark green)
Status	Mandate of South Africa
Capital and largest city	Windhoek
Official languages	English Afrikaans German (1984–1990) Dutch (1915–1983)
Common languages	Khoekhoegowab Oshiwambo Otjiherero RuKwangali Setswana siLozi
Demonym(s)	South West African
Administrator
• 1915–1920	Sir Edmond Howard Lacam Gorges
• 1985–1990	Louis Pienaar
History
• Occupation	9 July 1915
• Treaty of Versailles	28 June 1919
• Independence	21 March 1990
Currency	South West African pound (1920–1961) South African rand (1961–1990)
Preceded by Succeeded by German South West Africa Union of South Africa Namibia
Today part of	Namibia

Originally the German colony of the same name from 1884 to 1915, it was made a League of Nations mandate of the Union of South Africa following Germany's defeat in the First World War. Although the mandate was abolished by the United Nations in 1966, South African control over the territory continued despite its illegality under international law.^[2] The territory was administered directly by the South African government from 1915 to 1978, when the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference laid the groundwork for semi-autonomous rule. During an interim period between 1978 and 1985, South Africa gradually granted South West Africa a limited form of home rule, culminating in the formation of a Transitional Government of National Unity.

In 1990, South West Africa was granted independence as the Republic of Namibia with the exception of Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands, which continued to remain under South African rule until 1994.

German colony

Main article: German South West Africa

As a German colony from 1884, it was known as German South West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika). Germany had a difficult time administering the territory, which experienced many insurrections against the harsh German rule, especially those led by guerilla leader Jacob Morenga. The main port, Walvis Bay, and the Penguin Islands were annexed by the UK in 1878, becoming part of the Cape Colony in 1884.^[3] Following the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, Walvis Bay became part of the Cape Province.^[4]

As part of the Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty in 1890, a corridor of land taken from the northern border of Bechuanaland, extending as far as the Zambezi River, was added to the colony. It was named the Caprivi Strip (Caprivizipfel) after the German Chancellor Leo von Caprivi.^[5]

South African rule

In 1915, during the South West Africa campaign of World War I, South Africa captured the German colony. After the war, it was declared a League of Nations Class C Mandate territory under the Treaty of Versailles, with the Union of South Africa responsible for the administration of South West Africa. From 1922, this included Walvis Bay, which, under the South West Africa Affairs Act, was governed as if it were part of the mandated territory.^[6] South West Africa remained a League of Nations Mandate until World War II and the collapse of the League of Nations.^[7]

The Mandate was supposed to become a United Nations Trust Territory when League of Nations Mandates were transferred to the United Nations following World War II. The Prime Minister, Jan Smuts, objected to South West Africa coming under UN control and refused to allow the territory's transition to independence, instead seeking to make it South Africa's fifth province in 1946.^[8]

Although this never occurred, in 1949, the South West Africa Affairs Act was amended to give representation in the Parliament of South Africa to whites in South West Africa, which gave them six seats in the House of Assembly and four in the Senate.^[9]

This was to the advantage of the National Party, which enjoyed strong support from the predominantly Afrikaner and ethnic German white population in the territory.^[10] Between 1950 and 1977, all of South West Africa's parliamentary seats were held by the National Party.^[11]

An additional consequence of this was the extension of apartheid laws to the territory.^[12] This gave rise to several rulings at the International Court of Justice, which in 1950 ruled that South Africa was not obliged to convert South West Africa into a UN trust territory, but was still bound by the League of Nations Mandate, with the United Nations General Assembly assuming the supervisory role. The ICJ also clarified that the General Assembly was empowered to receive petitions from the inhabitants of South West Africa and to call for reports from the mandatory nation, South Africa.^[13] The General Assembly constituted the Committee on South West Africa to perform the supervisory functions.^[14]

In another Advisory Opinion issued in 1955, the Court further ruled that the General Assembly was not required to follow League of Nations voting procedures in determining questions concerning South West Africa.^[15] In 1956, the Court further ruled that the Committee had the power to grant hearings to petitioners from the mandated territory.^[16] In 1960, Ethiopia and Liberia filed a case in the International Court of Justice against South Africa alleging that South Africa had not fulfilled its mandatory duties. This case did not succeed, with the Court ruling in 1966 that they were not the proper parties to bring the case.^[17][18]

Mandate terminated

There was a protracted struggle between South Africa and forces fighting for independence, particularly after the formation of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) in 1960.

In 1966, the General Assembly passed resolution 2145 (XXI) which declared the Mandate terminated and that the Republic of South Africa had no further right to administer South West Africa.^[19] In 1971, acting on a request for an Advisory Opinion from the United Nations Security Council, the ICJ ruled that the continued presence of South Africa in Namibia was illegal and that South Africa was under an obligation to withdraw from Namibia immediately. It also ruled that all member states of the United Nations were under an obligation not to recognise as valid any act performed by South Africa on behalf of Namibia.^[20]

South West Africa became known as Namibia by the UN when the General Assembly changed the territory's name by Resolution 2372 (XXII) of 12 June 1968.^[21] SWAPO was recognised as representative of the Namibian people, and gained UN observer status^[22] when the territory of South West Africa was already removed from the list of non-self-governing territories.

In 1977, South Africa transferred control of Walvis Bay back to the Cape Province, thereby making it an exclave.^[23]

The territory became the independent Republic of Namibia on 21 March 1990, although Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands remained under South African control until 1994.^[24]

Bantustans

The South African authorities established 10 bantustans in South West Africa in the late 1960s and early 1970s in accordance with the Odendaal Commission, three of which were granted self-rule.^[25] These bantustans were replaced with separate ethnicity based governments in 1980.

 

Map of the black reservations in South West Africa (present-day Namibia) as of 1978

Self-governing entities

 

Allocation of land to bantustans according to the Odendaal Plan, with grey being Etosha National Park

Bantustan	Capital	Years	Most represented tribe
East Caprivi	Katima Mulilo	1972–1989	Lozi
Hereroland	Okakarara	1970–1989^[c]	Herero
Ovamboland	Ondangua	1973–1989^[d]	Ovambo
Kavangoland	Rundu	1973–1989^[e]	Kavango

Non-self-governing entities

Bantustan	Capital^[26]	Years	Most represented tribe
Bushmanland	Tsumkwe	1976–1989^[27]	San
Damaraland	Welwitschia	1980–1989	Damara
Namaland	Keetmanshoop	1980–1989	Nama
Kaokoland	Ohopoho	1970–1989	Himba
Rehoboth	Rehoboth	1979–1989	Baster
Tswanaland	Aminuis	1979–1989	Tswana

See also

• List of colonial governors of South West Africa
• History of Namibia
• South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO)
• South West African Territorial Force (SWATF)
• South West African Police (SWAPOL)
• South African Border War

References

Notes

1. The South African Red Ensign was never the official South African flag, but was in popular use. See: Flag of South Africa
2. Remained the royal anthem until 1961.
3. Homeland started in 1968, but self governance began in 1970
4. Homeland started in 1968, but self governance began in 1973
5. Homeland started in 1970, but self governance began in 1973

Citations

1. "South Africa Will Play Two Anthems Hereafter". The New York Times. New York. 3 June 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
2. . Archive: Information released online prior to January 20, 2009. United States Department of State. 2009. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2009. South Africa had illegally occupied neighboring Namibia at the end of World War II, and since the mid-1970s, Pretoria had used it as a base to fight the communist party in Angola.
3. Succession of States and Namibian territories 2016-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, Y. Makonnen in Recueil Des Cours, 1986: Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law, Academie de Droit International de la Haye, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1987, page 213
4. Debates of Parliament 2017-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, Hansard, Volume 9, Issues 19-21, Government Printer, 1993, page 10179
5. Caprivi Strip | Namibia 2010-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. Namibian.org. Retrieved on 2012-12-18.
6. Ieuan Griffiths,Walvis Bay: exclave no more Geography, Vol. 79, No. 4 (October 1994), page 354
7. Mwakikagile, Godfrey (2001). Ethnic Politics in Kenya and Nigeria. Huntington, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. p. 223. ISBN 1560729678. from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
8. John Dugard, The South West Africa/Namibia Dispute: Documents and Scholarly Writings on the Controversy Between South Africa and the United Nations, University of California Press, 1973, page 124 2018-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
9. Official Documents of the 4th Session of the United Nations General Assembly], United Nations, 1949, page 11
10. Newell M. Stultz, Afrikaner Politics in South Africa, 1934-1948, University of California Press, 1974, page 161 2018-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
11. Vivienne Jabri, Mediating Conflict: Decision-making and Western Intervention in Namibia], Manchester University Press, 1990, page 46 2018-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
12. Turok, Ben (1990). Witness from the frontline: aggression and resistance in Southern Africa. Institute for African Alternatives. p. 86. ISBN 187042512X. from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
13. . Archived from the original on 2 October 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2006.
14. "Index-United Nations Organisations and Resolutions". www.klausdierks.com. from the original on 3 May 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.
15. . Archived from the original on 2 October 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
16. . Archived from the original on 2 October 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
17. . Archived from the original on 2 October 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2006.
18. . Archived from the original on 2 October 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
19. UN General Assembly, res n° 2154 (XXI), 17 November 1966. Available at http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/21/ares21.htm 2016-01-24 at the Wayback Machine [recovered october 1, 2015]
20. "Cour internationale de Justice | International Court of Justice". www.icj-cij.org. from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
21. Legal Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
22. UNGA Resolution A/RES/31/152 2011-07-28 at the Wayback Machine Observer status for the South West Africa People's Organisation
23. The Green and the dry wood: The Roman Catholic Church (Vicariate of Windhoek) and the Namibian socio-political situation, 1971-1981, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, 1983, page 6 2018-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
24. "Treaty between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic of Namibia with respect to Walvis Bay and the off-shore Islands, 28 February 1994" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
25. Cahoon, Ben. "Namibian Homelands". www.worldstatesmen.org. from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
26. Anthony D'Amato. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
27. Welch, Cameron (2018). The San and the N‡a Jaqna Conservancy, Tsumkwe District West, Namibia: The San and the N‡a Jaqna Conservancy, Tsumkwe District West, Namibia. African Books Collective. p. 28. ISBN 978-3906927039.

Further reading

• Molly McCullers, Betwixt and Between Colony and Nation-State: Liminality, Decolonization, and the South West Africa Mandate, The American Historical Review, Volume 124, Issue 5, December 2019, Pages 1704–1708.