Happy birthday, Swapo Party!

19 April is a day to cherish. It is a day on which we commemorate our beginning, our journey, our history and our legacy as the Swapo Party. 19 April 1960 will forever be known as one of the most pivotal days in the history of the Namibian people’s struggle for independence.

It was on that day that Namibian workers, tired of colonial oppression and exploitation, resolved to establish a national movement to wage the struggle for independence.

Thus, on that day, Swapo became the vanguard for the Namibian revolution. The formation of Swapo took place against the backdrop of a wave of independence which was sweeping across the continent, championed by extraordinary personalities such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Modibo Keïta of Mali, Ahmed Sékou Touré of Guinea, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere of Tanzania and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, amongst others.

Spurred on by the realisation that African independence was no longer a far-fetched dream but a reality within reach, our gallant sons and daughters of the soil took a revolutionary decision. They chose to unite under the auspices of one mass movement, as Namibians, led by comrade Sam Nujoma, the founding father of the Namibian revolution and nation, in order to effect a groundswell of resistance and commitment towards total liberation.

To this end, many valiant sons and daughters of Namibia fought heroically under the Swapo Party banner of red, blue and green for Namibia’s freedom, of which some sacrificed their youth, limbs, health and, ultimately, lives.

It is due to this acclaimed history of a people united in an unwavering quest for their liberation that today we are able to walk tall, beaming with pride and confidence in the knowledge that our party indeed has come of age and continues to be a trendsetting movement, having lived up to its historic commitment of advancing, advocating and promoting unity, liberty and justice.

As a governing party that has ruled for over three decades, the Swapo Party remains committed to not only leading the people of Namibia, but transforming their lives for the better.

Inspiring hope and confidence

Our pedigree of leadership is proven. Therefore, in this Year of Reimaging, we continue to champion programmes, ideas and policies that inspire hope and confidence in our people. That is the hope for an inclusive, just, prosperous nation and the confidence that under Swapo leadership, the future of Namibia will continue to be safeguarded by peace, stability and unity.

It is for this reason that 62 years after our party’s founding, we take full ownership of the heavy responsibility of ensuring that we continue to improve the quality of Namibian lives through deliberate and decisive interventions in different spheres of our governance architecture.

The Swapo Party government’s achievements and policy initiatives, as clearly outlined in the Harambee Prosperity Plans, the National Development Plans, the Swapo Party Election Manifesto and Vision 2030, are testament of our commitment towards tackling all and any transitional developmental challenges head-on. Comrades, our achievements and accolades are noteworthy references to be championed and celebrated.

Due to our governance efforts for the past 32 years since independence, we have ensured that the spectre of apartheid brutality has been banished; however, we remain with the understanding that more still needs to be done to ensure that we bring about inclusive development and shared prosperity to our people.

In this regard, we are currently in a period of intensified implementation of our developmental objectives, aiming to address the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and gender inequality.

The Swapo Party is a well-oiled machine that evidently continues to grow from strength to strength. We are a movement that cares for its past, present and future continuity, through the reinforcement and recruitment of the youth who undergo proper political education through our transmitting belts, being the Swapo Party Youth League and Pioneers Movement, and thus preparing them for leadership both at party and government levels.

Pay attention

During this crucial year, when we will host the upcoming policy conference and later the electoral congress, we are not only expected to account and renew our mandate but also to pay serious attention to advancing progressive ideas and policies while electing tried, tested and trusted future custodians of our movement, with capacity, confidence and capital to continue with the legacy of leadership, a legacy that is rooted in democracy, unity, peace, stability and the rule of law. That in itself shall be a tribute to the wisdom of our revolutionary founding fathers.

The rank and file have an additional collective responsibility to stand firm, to be vigilant and observant. True Swapo Party cadres are always united despite differences; they are disciplined and trustworthy under the most trying conditions, because they have the well-being of the party and the people of Namibia at heart as their highest patriotic priority.

We have an impressive and unmatched glorious revolutionary history and experience in governance, so always defend your party, defend your leadership and defend its programmes and policies against those who seek to weaken us and spread falsehoods, especially on social media.

Always go out there with confidence, to, amongst others, provide political education by explaining to the people about Swapo’s achievements and the party’s agenda.

In setting and carrying out our developmental agenda, the Swapo Party will continue to be guided by its tried and tested commitment to defend the gains of our independence and to continue to promote the fundamental interests and aspirations of our people.

Swapo is the party that charted the path of the Namibian people towards the achievement of political independence; the party that forms the centre and glue of the unity of the Namibian nation; and the party that is transitioning the Namibian people from historical poverty into the future of prosperity.

On this 62nd anniversary of our glorious movement, I reaffirm, with absolute confidence, that Swapo will be the party that will chart the path towards the achievement of economic independence.

By staying united, by staying focused, by staying resolute in our principles, we will be able to achieve ultimate victory in the second phase of the struggle for economic emancipation, thereby emulating our resounding victory in the first phase of the struggle.

With these words, I wish all Swapo Party rank and file, supporters and sympathisers, from all corners of our country, a happy 62nd birthday.

*Dr Hage Geingob is president of the Swapo Party and Namibia’s head of state. He delivered this speech in celebration of the party’s 62nd birthday anniversary yesterday.