When the land hungry Western imperialists at the Berlin Conference in 1884, the so-called scramble for Africa, drew up the colonial borders and Namibia became a German territory through an Anglo-German Treaty of 1890, whilst Walvis Bay remained under Britain through the jurisdiction of the Cape Colony. These moves by the European powers were highly unacceptable and suspiciously regarded by the inhabitants of Namibia then. That marked the beginning of a long and bitter struggle for freedom and emancipation.

The struggle for the liberation of Namibia was in essence, a burning desire for change. Throughout, the Namibian people wanted change in their lives in order to live in peace and harmony. The Merchants; the Missionaries; the Army Soldiers; the Traders; the Explorers; the Navigators; the Miners and indeed all the other groups and individuals not mentioned here, were regarded as foreign intruders who aimed at serving their own interests and that of their masters.

To this end, Namibians, in all their struggles, wanted to shake off the heavy yoke of colonialism, oppression and exploitation by foreign forces in their different camouflage colonial blankets. The early resistance of our people was largely uncoordinated and very much spontaneous in its approach and methodology. This state of affairs led to the empowering of the enemy and the weakening of the forces of resistance at the time.

SWAPO Party of Namibia was born on April 19, 1960,taking from its forerunner, OPO, (1958) with a full mandate to unite all our people, and to cultivate the spirit of nationalism within the Namibian people, in order to fight the common enemy as a united people. SWAPO PARTY of Namibia, was born out of the realisation that, united we stand, divided we fall. Hence, the revolutionary rallying clarion: One Namibia, One Nation. To this end, SWAPO had already declared in its policy documents in 1976; The government of a truly liberated Namibia will, therefore, be called upon to take the following measures:

Wage the struggle towards the abolition of all forms of exploitation of man by man and the destructive spirit of individualism and aggrandizement of wealth and power by individuals, groups or classes.