Did You Know Namibia Was Colonized by Another African Country for 75 Years?’

‘Did You Know Namibia Was Colonized by Another African Country for 75 Years?’

Namibia was under South African rule for 75 years before finally gaining its independence in 1990 after a long liberation struggle.

The country was originally a German colony known as German South West Africa. However, during World War I, South African troops invaded the territory on behalf of the Allied powers and defeated the German forces in 1915. After the war, the League of Nations granted South Africa a mandate to administer Namibia. Instead of preparing the territory for self-rule, South Africa governed it as though it were its fifth province.

In 1948, when apartheid was introduced in South Africa, the same system of racial segregation was extended to Namibia. Black Namibians were forced into impoverished homelands known as Bantustans, while the white minority controlled the country’s fertile land, major towns, and valuable mineral resources, including diamonds and uranium.

In 1966, the United Nations terminated South Africa’s mandate over Namibia because of widespread human rights abuses. South Africa refused to withdraw, prompting the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) to launch an armed struggle for independence.

The conflict later spread into neighbouring Angola, where South African troops battled SWAPO fighters and Cuban-backed Angolan forces. After years of costly fighting, including the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, South Africa agreed to the 1988 New York Accords.

Under the agreement, South Africa withdrew its forces from Angola and accepted Namibia’s independence. On March 21, 1990, Namibia officially became an independent nation, with Sam Nujoma sworn in as its first president, bringing an end to 75 years of South African rule.