Namibia celebrated its 14th independence anniversary on Sunday as well as 10 years of the reintegration of the harbour town of Walvis Bay, which was first under British and then under South African control for 100 years.
The independence day celebrations took place in Walvis Bay with a march past by the defence forces and a fly past attended by Namibian President Sam Nujoma and Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, the guest of honour.
”We are indeed proud that the return of Walvis Bay and the offshore islands was achieved without a single gun shot being fired,” Nujoma, who has been in power since independence and is due to step down this year, said.
”The Namibian people will also remain indebted to the liberation movements in South Africa… which adopted a resolution on the re-integration of Walvis Bay and the offshore islands at the multi-party negotiations at Kempton Park in South Africa”, he said.
After Namibia’s independence in 1990, the new government started negotiations with Pretoria’s apartheid regime for the return of the Walvis Bay harbour and the surrounding enclave.
A Joint Administration Authority was set up in 1992 and at the end of 1993 the long drawn-out negotiations ended successfully.
On February 28, 1994, the Namibian flag was hoisted for the first time in Walvis Bay. ‒ Sapa-AFP