Namibia (formerly SouthWest Africa) Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Namibia

Type: former German colony of South-West Africa mandated to South Africa by League of Nations in 1920; UN formally ended South Africa’s mandate on 27 October 1966, but South Africa has retained administrative control

Capital: Windhoek

Political subdivisions: 10 tribal homelands, mostly in northern sector, and zone open to white settlement with administrative subdivisions similar to a province of South Africa

Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law

Branches: since September 1977 Administrator General, appointed by South African Government, has exercised coordinative functions over zone of white settlement and tribal homelands, where traditional chiefs and representative bodies exercise limited autonomy; veto power over legislation proposed by National Assembly; interim government established June 1985 with 8-member Cabinet, 16-member Constitutional Council and 62-member National Assembly

Government leader: Louis A. PIENAAR, Administrator General (since July 1985)

Suffrage: universal white adult suffrage at territorial level; lower level elections open to blacks

Elections: last election of Namibian National Assembly, December 1978

Political parties and leaders: approximately 45 political parties; member parties of the interim Multi-Party Conference govern

ment—Multisocial Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk Mudge; South-West African National Union (SWANU), Moses Katjiuongua South-West African People’s Organization Democrats (SW APO-D), Andreas Shipanga, South-West African National Party (SWANP), Kusie Pretorius; Colored Labor Party, David Bezuidenhout; Rehoboth Free Democratic Party (RFDP), Hans Diergaardt; other parties—United Democratic Party, formed in September 1985 after merger of 2 Caprivi parties, Mishake Muyongo, Federal Party, largely white, English-speaking, liberal; Christian Democratic Action Party, a primarily Ovambo party formed in early 1982 as a result of a split in the DTA, Peter Kalangula

Voting strength: (1978 election) Namibian National Assembly—DTA, 22 seats;

SWANP, 8 seats; SWANU, 8 seats; SWAPO-D, 8 seats; CP, 8 seats; RFDP, 8 seats; Assembly appointed in June 1985

Communists: no Communist Party; SWAPO guerrilla force is supported by Soviet Union, Cuba, and other Communist states as well as OAU

Other political or pressure groups: SouthWest African People’s Organization (SWAPO), led by Sam Nujoma, maintains a foreign-based guerrilla movement; is predominantly Ovambo but has some influence among other tribes; is the only Namibian group recognized by the UN General Assembly and the Organization of African Unity

Member of: FAO, 1LO, UNESCO, WFTU, WHO

NOTE: The information regarding Namibia (formerly SouthWest Africa) on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Namibia (formerly SouthWest Africa) 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Namibia (formerly SouthWest Africa) 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.