Neither does it intend substantial nationalisation of Namibian industry, much of it South African owned, nor to appropriate white farmland, a move it believes could stampede the 75 000 whites into exile. Instead the South West African People's Organisation will seek as cordial a relationship as possible with its former colonial rulers as it attempts to establish the basis of an independent national economy. This is the message from Swapo's president, Sam Nujoma.
Nujoma is in Kabwe, Zambia, this week to attend the 23rd congress of Zambia's United National Independence Party (UNIP) – where several thousand delegates and observers are reviewing the consequences of their own governments' post-independence attempt to nationalise South African-owned mines. He and senior members of Swapo have outlined the policies Swapo will adopt when it becomes the 6rst government of an independent Namibia – as Nujoma is supremely confident it will and even his enemies accept is likely.
A Swapo government will give support to the ANC "within the frame- work of the Organisation of African Unity, United Nations and the Non Aligned Movement", diplomatic recognition and administrative facilities -but will not give it bases. "We are fighting to liberate Namibia, not to create bases for others," Nujoma said. In line with Mozambique, Zimbabwe and other Frontline states he argued that the struggle against apartheid was the task of the ANC and the South African people, and not of outsiders. There will be a cautious examination by the first Namibian parliament of some form of nationalisation of "one or two enterprises."
This could take the place of partial government shareholding – with appropriate compensation, he said, or of joint ventures. Whatever is implemented will be decided "on the basis of mutual benefit to the country and the corporation". Land distribution – which is un- likely to involve large-scale seizure or enforced buy-outs of white farms – remains a major element of Swapo's political platform. The major targets, say senior Swapo officials accompanying Nujoma, will be the 300-plus farms owned by absentee landlords who are mainly in Germany and South Africa. Independent national financial institutions are absent in a country which Swapo says bas been mu by South Africa as a fifth province rather than a country.
Swapo will give urgent attention to establishing these institutions, including a central bank and Namibia's own currency. Swapo will also adopt a "forgive and forget" policy towards those its current propaganda describes as “Pretoria's puppets" AH Namibians, including those currently detained by Swapo, will be free to participate in a multi-party democracy, Nujoma said. He acknowledged this could mean the presence of Swapo dissident Andreas Shipanga in a Namibian government "if he is elected".
The acknowledgement drew a startled but whispered expletive from a Swapo official sitting alongside Nujoma. Nujoma merely smiled. He emphasised, however, that South Africa appeared genuinely to want peace and spoke glowingly of Pretoria's good intentions. While Swapo has not participated in the talks – "we come into play with (UN Resolution) 435" – it fully endorses them, he said, and had already issued strict instructions to its soldiers not to engage South African troops in Angola or in Namibia except in self defence. – David Niddrie
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
