The Legacy of the Father of Namibian Liberation

Last summer saw the death of Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, a Namibian anti-apartheid activist who organized the South West African People’s Organization in 1960, the main organization responsible for Namibia’s independence and now the dominant political party in the country. Who was this forefather of Namibia, and how has his legacy impacted Namibia?

            Andimba Herman Toivo ya Toivo was born on the 22^nd of August 1924 near Ondangwa in Northern Namibia. He served in the South African Defense Force in the Second World War, and then served as a teacher until 1951.

            In 1951, ya Toivo started working with the Modern Youth Society, a joint-organization between university students and trade unionists. In 1957 he founded the Ovamboland People’s Congress, an organization that sought to fight for the rights of migrant workers. The organization also fought against the incorporation of Namibia into South Africa, naturally setting it in alliance with several South African separatist organizations.  It would eventually grow into the South West African People’s Organization in 1959, which was committed to Namibian independence and an end to apartheid. This work brought ya Toivo into South Africa as an activist, but eventually he was deported for sending a tape to the UN that outlined extensive human rights violations that were being perpetrated in Namibia.

            In 1967 ya Toivo’s political activity, especially with the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia. had made him enough of a threat that he was brought to trial and convicted under South Africa’s Terrorism Act. He was then imprisoned in the infamous Robben Island prison along with other anti-apartheid leaders such as Nelson Mandela.
            Ya Toivo was released in 1984, where he quickly joined SWAPO once more, this time as the secretary-general of the party, where he led Namibia into its independence in 1990. He retired from active politics in 2004 and died at the age of 92 in 2017. He was declared a national hero and afforded a state funeral.

            Ya Toivo’s guiding hand lead Namibia throughout the pivotal changes of the mid-20^th century. His commitment to worker’s rights, tribal organizations, and self-determination left a marked impact on Namibia’s culture and politics.

“We are Namibians and not South Africans. We do not now and will not in the future recognize your right to govern us; to make laws for us, in which we had no say; to treat our country as if it was your property and us as if you are our masters. We have always regarded South Africa as an intruder in our country. This is how we have always felt, and this is how we feel now, and it is on this basis that we have faced this trial.”

-Toivo ya Toivo’s Speech during his terrorism trial

            -J. Cole Holderman

Link to a Short Biography: www.sahistory.org.za/people/andimba-herman-toivo-ya-toivo