| 1994 |
As in 1993 and in
spite of favourable political and economic parameters and the prevailing
peace and stability, foreign investments are generally still lacking, with
the exception of single projects in the tourism and fishery processing
sectors. The drop in the GDP of 3,3% in 1993 is followed by an economic
revival in 1994. The GDP increases to 5,5% due to a higher production of
diamonds (9%). The exports are increasing with 12% to N$ 4,7 billion. The
moderate increase in imports (8%) results in a positive trade balance. Also
1994 doesn’t alleviate the inherited social imbalance between "black" and
"white" communities. |
| 07.01. |
The Deputy Minister
for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, announces that a pilot
training college is in the process of planning for Keetmanshoop. The SA
African National Congress (ANC)(SA Minister for Defence, Joe Modise)
supports the project. The flying school could provide up to 120 jobs in
Keetmanshoop and would be a major boost to the Namibian South. He further
makes known that the German Government is in the process to deliver three
mobile radar systems (ex the former GDR Army), worth N$ 40 million, to
Namibia. One station would be installed at Windhoek International Airport,
the second one at Rooikop Airport at Walvis Bay and the third in the Caprivi
Strip to monitor over-flights to and from Angola. |
| 08.01. |
Klaus Dierks further
announces that he negotiated respective soft loans from the German
Government (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)) for several road
rehabilitation projects (Otavi-Otjiwarongo,
Oshivelo-Ondangwa-Oshakati, Mururani-Rundu and Ondangwa-Oshikango). |
| 15.01. |
An Extradition Treaty
between Namibia and South Africa for the extradition of South Africans who
committed crimes in Namibia during the apartheid era does not materialise
because the old SA Government which is just retiring from the political
stage is still protecting these deeds. |
| 21.01. |
A fifth round of
talks on the re-integration of Walvis Bay and the Atlantic offshore islands
takes place in Pretoria. A day of hard bargaining occurs as a high-powered
delegation (the ministers for Home Affairs, Lucas Hifikepunye Pohamba, Trade
and Industry, Hidipo Hamutenya, Health and Social Services, Nicky Iyambo,
Justice, Ernest Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, Agriculture, Water and Rural
Development, Nangolo Mbumba, Mines and Energy, Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo, the
Attorney General, Hartmut Ruppel, the deputy ministers for Works, Transport
and Communication, Klaus Dierks, Home Affairs, Jerry Ekandjo, Information
and Broadcasting, Daniel Tjongarero and Defence, Philemon Malima) under the
leadership of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Theo-Ben Gurirab takes up the
negotiations with the South Africans under the SA Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Pik Botha. Both countries still have significant differences over
several crucial issues surrounding the February 28<sup>th</sup> handover of
Walvis Bay. Top of the conflict is the question whether Namibia should pay
for assets in the port town. Two key SA-parastatals in the enclave, the SA
power giant Eskom and the SA port company Portnet, are pushing for
compensation for handing over their facilities to Namibia which combined
totals over N$ 100 million. The SA Cape Provincial Administration is also
pressing for a pay-off for assets its owns including government buildings
and the synchrolift at the port. Portnet demands N$ 84,7 million for the
transfer of the port’s assets while Eskom asks N$ 23 million before it hands
over power facilities in the enclave. The Namibian South West Africa Water
and Electricity Corporation (SWAWEC)(later NamPower), led by Polla Brand,
maintains that Eskom has received the Walvis Bay power installations for a
nominal R 1,00 from the SA Government. The SA telecommunication company
Telkom claims from Telecom Namibia N$ 4,8 million. Portnet threatens that in
case Namibia doesn’t pay up then all moveable assets in the port could be
shipped to South Africa. The Namibian Deputy Minister for Works, Transport
and Communication, Klaus Dierks, comes up with an analysed list of assets
which considerably differs from the South African claims which in most cases
are not based on engineering analysis (many assets were paid by Namibian tax
payers before 1978 like the roads infrastructure in the enclave). For
instance, the Portnet claims are based on the total losses of the SA
transport parastatal Transnet although the Port of Walvis Bay always made
profits. The Namibian side maintains that international laws of state
succession make it clear that Namibia should not have to pay for anything in
Walvis Bay. A second issue of contention is the form of future local
elections in Walvis Bay. The South Africans are pressing for the maintenance
of the existing ward system while the Namibian side wants a new delimitation
of the local authority area. However, South Africa has now accepted that
dual citizenship for Walvis Bay residents would be against the stipulation
of the Namibian Constitution. A further conflict area is the question of
South African landing rights at the Rooikop Airport in Walvis Bay.
Namibia concludes with the Federal Republic of Germany an Investment
Protection Agreement. |
| 27.01. |
The South West Africa
Water and Electricity Corporation (SWAWEC), announces that, after
negotiations, Eskom’s claim of N$ 23 million will be considerably reduced. |
| 04.02. |
In Okahao in the
Omusati Region President Nujoma opens a new digital telecommunication system
for the four regions in the former Ovamboland. The event is witnessed by the
German Ambassador, Hanns Schumacher, the Chairman (E Angula) and the
Managing Director (B Ekloff) of Telecom Namibia, as well as the Deputy
Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks. The new
system covers an area of 12 000 square kilometres, stretching from Onesi in
the west to Eenhana in the east. Although the German Rurtel
Telecommunication System is financed by a grant from the German Government
which was negotiated by Klaus Dierks, it provides profits to Telecom Namibia
within a year. |
| 08.02. |
The assets at Walvis
Bay are still the main bone of contention in the negotiations about the
handover of the port town between Namibia and South Africa. Ongoing
discussions over the port facilities are still highly sensitive and
difficult. Klaus Dierks announces that last week Portnet refused Namibian
officials access to the port to talk to the employees. In the mean time
Portnet drops its demand from N$ 84,7 million to N$ 64,4 million being the
value of the fixed assets and the liabilities. Dierks holds the opinion that
paying for fixed port assets and liabilities implies that Namibia would pay
for South African state debts. It becomes now clear that the disagreement
over the port assets will be only sorted after re-integration on 28.02. The
two governments are now looking into at a transitional agreement on the
transfer of port facilities which would allow the new Namibia Port Authority
(NamPort) to take over on 28.02. with the port asset issue to be sorted out
a later stage. Another objection by Dierks is the sale of government houses
(140 houses) by South Africa, leaving only 40 houses to Namibia.
The German Ambassador, Hanns Schumacher, signs an agreement with the Deputy
Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, for the
construction of a section of the Trans Caprivi Highway from Divundu at the
Okavango River to a point 100 km east of the river. The German Government is
financing the project with N$ 80 million. In June this amount is topped up
by a further grant of N$ 40 million. |
| 09.02. |
The Minister for
Works, Transport and Communication, Marco Hausiku, accompanied by the
Permanent Secretary, Frieda-Nela Williams, meets his counterpart, Dawie de
Villiers in Pretoria. Hausiku declares the willingness of the Namibian
government to partly compensate Portnet to the tune of N$ 15 million for
investments which were recently done in the port. |
| 21.02. |
Exactly one week
before the re-integration of Walvis Bay, the National Assembly accepts the
Walvis Bay and Off-Shore Islands Bill of 1994 during the third reading. |
| 22.02. |
The Namibian
Government believes that South Africa actually owes Namibia N$ 33 million
for the Port of Walvis Bay and not that Namibia should pay Pretoria for the
port assets. The Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and Communication,
Klaus Dierks, declares that his Ministry had analysed the revenues and
liabilities of the port since World War One. The highly profitable Port of
Walvis Bay had been cross-subsidising the South African railways for 30
years. Still no breakthrough is achieved by a Joint Technical Committee on
the Walvis Bay Assets. It seems that both countries have to call in outside
arbitration. But, the impasse over the compensation issue will not affect
the handover to the Namibia Port Authority (NamPort) at midnight on February
28. |
| 23.02. |
Five days before the
re-integration of Walvis Bay, the National Assembly accepts the Namibian
Ports Authority Bill of 1994 during the third reading. |
| 28.02. |
The South African Air
Force Base at Rooikop (Walvis Bay Enclave) is found completely destroyed by
unknown forces. |
28.02
midnight |
Walvis Bay and the
Atlantic offshore islands are re-integrated into the Republic of Namibia.
President Sam Nujoma declares this event the end of the decolonising process
in Namibia. The celebrations are witnessed by many heads of states like
Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe and Jerry Rawlings from Ghana. The SA African
National Congress (ANC) is represented by Walter Sisulu and Thabo Mbeki.
Other important personalities who attend the great event are Lisbeth Palme,
wife of the murdered Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme and Sonia Gandhi,
wife of the murdered Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.
Sam Nujoma during the
Re-integration of Walvis Bay into the Republic of Namibia, 1994
Namibia State Archive
The Representatives of the
South African ANC, Walter Sisulu and Thabo Mbeki during the Re-integration
of Walvis Bay into the Republic of Namibia, 1994
Namibia State Archive |
| March |
The election campaign
for a new democratic South Africa which would end decades of Apartheid rule
begins. SWAPO and NUNW support the SA African National Congress (ANC)
politically and financially. |
| 17.03. |
The Minister for
Finance, Gerd Hanekom, tables the Budget for the Financial Year 1994/95. The
budget makes provision for an expenditure of N$ 3 690 million, an increase
of 10% against 1993/94 which reflects more or less the inflation rate of 11%
for the year (8,5% for the previous year). But, an additional budget later
this year has to make provision for an additional expenditure of N$ 257
million. This expenditure is mainly caused by additional costs for the
re-integration of Walvis Bay, salary increases in the Public Service (10%)
and the purchase of an official aeroplane for the Prime Minister (a Lear Jet
31 A for N$ 6,5 million). The expected deficit of N$ 407 million is clearly
higher than the deficit for the last year of N$ 357 million which again will
be covered on the domestic capital market. Hanekom makes known some tax
decreases for the lower income groups. He further announces a uniform Old
Age Pension for all Namibians with an age of sixty of N$ 135 per month with
effect from 01.07. (95 000 people are effected). During the colonial
dispensation a non-contributory pension scheme, based on the ideology of
racial segregation, existed. "Whites" received R 382 per month, while
"blacks" had to survive with R 55. This discriminatory system was abolished
in 1992. |
| 03.04. |
After the Namibia
Time Bill (Bill 39 of 1993) was tabled in the National Assembly on
10.11.1993, the new Namibian Standard Time (Winter Time) comes into effect
at 02h00 in the morning. |
| 05.04. |
The Permanent
Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Andreas
PGuibeb, is in a
Report of the Office of the Ombudsman, Jariretundu Kozonguizi, accused of
corruption. No direct action is taken against the official. |
| 18.04. |
A judicial
investigation into the murder of SWAPO activist Anton Lubowski (September
1989) commences. Reason for this are new accusations against members of the,
in the mean time dissolved, South African Civil Co-operation Bureau (CCB).
Also Namibian police officers were reportedly involved in the murder. This
leads to the temporary suspension of four police officers (27.04.). The
lacking Extradition Treaty between Namibia and South Africa prevents the
extraction of any members of the CCB. |
| 29.04. |
It is very difficult
for the Government to fulfil the high level of expectations among the
Namibian people. Frustrated illusions can be found in many quarters. As one
example, dissenting students approach the President directly to listen to
their grievances. This student objection is followed by strong protests
(June) of demobilised jobless Ex-PLAN soldiers who illegally invade the
training centre of the state-owned Development Brigade Corporation at
Ondangwa. They also demand to see President Sam Nujoma. |
| 05.05. |
The Deputy Minister
for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, announces the Namibian
Road Sector Reform which will commercialise Namibia’s road system which will
become self-regulating. This system will pave the way for a completely new
relationship between the private and public sectors. Namibia is here at the
forefront of related developments in the world. There is only one country in
the world which is going as far as Namibia is reforming the road sector and
that is New Zealand. The new arrangement will consist of four components:
The road sector will be self-financing by way of equitable, fair,
cost-reflective and transparent road user charges. The envisaged Namibia
Road Fund Administration is the regulator of the system and will administer
the Road Fund which is fed by the Road User Charges. The new Roads Authority
(RA) will be responsible for the management, planning and design of the
national road network. The envisaged Namibia Roads Contractor Company (RCC)
is run on private sector principles and will take over all road construction
and maintenance units of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication. |
| 23.05. |
In Noordoewer at the
Oranje River, Klaus Dierks inaugurates the first digital telecommunication
switch in the south of the country. |
| June |
The USA delivers five
light military surveillance aeroplanes. |
| 06.06. |
The Angolese
resistance movement UNITA claims that Namibia allows Angolese government
troops to use Namibian soil as jumping board into UNITA controlled
territory. |
| 09.06. |
Construction is to
start in the next two to four weeks on a new N$ 58,2 million office block
for the Namibian Government (partly at the site of the former SWAPO
headquarter). The offices are built by the construction firm Stocks & Stocks
Namibia. The office block is privately financed by Namibian banks (Standard
Bank Namibia and First National Bank Namibia). |
| 29.06. |
After many rounds of
coalition talks the National Patriotic Front (NPF) of Moses Katjiuongua, the
South West African National Union (SWANU) and the Deutsche Aktion:
Deutsch-Südwester Komitee (DSK) announce the establishment of a
coalition party, the Democratic Coalition of Namibia (DCN). SWANU leaves
after some in-house-fights the coalition on 07.11. |
| 20.07. |
In preparation for
the first general elections for the National Assembly and the Office of the
President in November 1994, some new political parties are emerging. One is
the Namibia Women’s Action for Equality, under the leadership of H Latvio.
Due to deficient organisational structures and a shortage of members no
registration for the forthcoming elections takes place. |
| 21.07. |
The Report of the
Auditor General on the Accounts of the Government for the Financial Year
1991/92, Fanuel Tjingaete, criticises a number of ministries for
mismanagement and corruption. Similar critics are also expressed at the
activities of the University of Namibia (Vice-Chancellor: Peter Katjavivi)
(September) and the Development Brigade Corporation (November). |
| 01.08. |
Namibia concludes
with Switzerland an Investment Protection Agreement. |
| 03.08. |
Members of SA’s
"special operations" unit, Koevoet, which was founded as an
"anti-insurgent" unit in 1979 and members of the South West Africa Territory
Force (SWATF), who left Namibia in 1989 are trying to return to their
country of origin. 29 former Koevoet and SWATF members together with
64 family members are attempting to cross the Namibian border. They are
prohibited to enter the country. This is overruled by the Namibian Supreme
Court on 18.08. and they are allowed to return. |
| 09./10.08. |
The newly elected
President of the democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela, visits Namibia. He
outlines new perspectives for the two countries in order to master the
heritage of decades of Apartheid rule. He also undertakes to support the
nullification of the colonial debts. |
| 15./16.08. |
The elections for a
new Walvis Bay City Council results in a convincing majority for the SWAPO
Party (SWAPO: eight seats: DTA: two seats). |
| 30.08. |
The Deputy Minister
for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, receives for his
Ministry the 1994 Shell Environmental Management Award for the environmental
concern it has shown for the construction of a new road from Omafo to
Okalongo in the Ohangwena Region. |
| 02.09. |
President Nujoma
opens the last missing link between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz, the Aus to
Goageb highway. |
| 04.09. |
For the first time
Namibians have to push their clocks one hour forward, from the Namibian
Standard Time to summer time. |
| 08.09. |
During a People’s
Conference on Land at Mariental 500 delegates demand the participation of
women and landless people in the land reform process. |
| 21.09. |
The German
Ambassador, Hanns Schumacher, signs an agreement with Klaus Dierks regarding
the German donation of two radar stations (RSP 10 MN) for the surveillance
of the Namibian air space. German experts will assist in the training of
Namibian counterparts to operate the radar systems. |
| 27.09. |
The new SWAPO party
list for the 1994 elections is established by internal elections by the
SWAPO Electoral College in Katutura (Windhoek). The first 32 members are,
according to the SWAPO Party Constitution, appointed by the Party President,
Sam Nujoma. This list is headed by the Vice President, Hendrik Witbooi and
the Secretary General, Moses Makue
5Garoëb. The list
of the 32 contains also candidates of the NUNW, the recently revived SWAPO
Youth League (SYL) and the SWAPO Women’s Council (SWC). The remaining 40
members are elected by the Electoral College. The top positions are filled
by Klaus Dierks and Nangolo Mbumba, followed by Nathaniel Maxuilili. Former
Agriculture Minister, Anton von Wietersheim is off the elected list and so
are SWAPO back bencher Danie Botha and Deputy Agricultural Minister, Stan
Webster. Michaela Hübschle reaches a hopeless position on the party list.
The Minister of Defence, Peter Mweshihange, visits India. There he
negotiates the purchase of military helicopters for Namibia. Four are
delivered on 18.12. (N$ 19,6 million). |
| 29.09. |
Serious border
violations along the Namibian Angolese border by the Angolese resistance
movement UNITA. Several Namibians are killed during these incidents. |
| 03.10. |
A Committee of
Inquiry on the Misuse of Drought Relief Subventions is appointed. It has to
be investigated whether some Ministers used these subventions to drill
boreholes on their private farms (inter alia Minister of Justice, Ernest
Ngarikutuke Tjiriange and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Nangolo Ithete). |
| 12.10. |
In the light of the
conflict between UNITA and the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), the Namibian
Government tries to resolve the problem. Therefore the UNITA leader Jonas
Savimbi is invited to Namibia. However, Savimbi declines the invitation
(18.10.). |
| 18.10. |
The border violations
by UNITA are reciprocated by the Namibian Government with the closure of the
Namibian Angolese border and an increased presence of the Namibian Defence
Force (NDF) along the Okavango River. |
| 25.10. |
The long awaited
Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Bill is promulgated in the National
Assembly, but not any more ratified in the National Council during the same
year. This piece of legislation is the result of the Land Conference 1991
and the work of the Technical Committee on Commercial Farmland (TCCF). This
bill creates the legal basis for the re-distribution, expropriation and
taxation of commercial land. Commercial land which is not used efficiently
or owned by foreign nationals can be expropriated against compensation and
allocated to landless Namibians. The Ministry for Land, Resettlement and
Rehabilitation has to identify such farms and to establish the level of
compensation. The purchase of farm land by foreign nationals will be
restricted but other investments by foreigners are encouraged. |
| November |
The Namibian
Government negotiates with the Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM) an agreement
that gives the state a 50% share in the company. CDM becomes the Namdeb
Diamond Corporation. This agreement, together with the creation of the
Export Processing Zone (EPZ) at Walvis Bay, creates hopes for increased
employment and state revenue. The EPZ has the objective to foster new
investments. It grants considerable tax reductions and does away with some
clauses of the Labour Act (Act No. 6 of 1992). One of the first EPZ
investments is one of the Egyptian firm Pidico which, however, never
materialises. |
| 09.11. |
The Deputy Minister
for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, signs with
representatives of the German Ministry of Transport in Bonn (Germany), in
presence of the three concerned airlines (Air Namibia, Lufthansa and the
private German airline LTU), a new Memorandum of Understanding which is
based on the international principle of reciprocity. Air Namibia (General
Manager: Keith Petch) regards this memorandum as unfair and goes even so far
to put newspaper advertisements against the Government, the 100% shareholder
in the airline. |
| 06.12. |
President Sam Nujoma
visits South Africa. He agrees with SA President Nelson Mandela that South
Africa should write off colonial debts to Namibia. The South African Cabinet
approves this on 08.12. |
| 07.12. |
The purchase of an
official aeroplane for the Prime Minister (N$ 6,5 million) is announced. The
Ministry for Works, Transport and Communication is not involved in the
process. |
| 07./08.12. |
The general elections
for the National Assembly and the Office of the President take place. SWAPO
increases her majority to 53 seats and 73,89% in the National Assembly (41
seats and 57,3% in the 1989 elections) and reaches more than a two-third
majority in the National Assembly. Thus, SWAPO is now able to change the
Namibian Constitution. |
| 13.12. |
The election results
are official announced, after some delays were encountered, caused by
technical problems in the four northern regions. The first direct election
for the Office of the President results in 76,3% for President Sam Nujoma.
The President of the DTA, Mishake Muyongo, gets only 23,7% of the poll. The
DTA reaches only 15 seats or 20,5% in the National Assembly (1989: 21 seats
or 28,6%). It is clear that the DTA still has got the image of a
Quisling-Party of the former South African colonial administration. Further
parties are the UDF of Justus 5Garoëb
with two seats (1989: four seats), the ACN (now Monitor Action Group (MAG))
of Kosie Pretorius with one seat and the newly formed DCN of Moses
Katjiuongua with one seat. SWANU doesn’t make it into the National Assembly.
The poll is 76,1% (1989: 97%). |
| 15.12. |
The German
Ambassador, Hanns Schumacher and Klaus Dierks commission the second to final
stage of Namibia’s link to her landlocked countries in the east and the
north, the Trans Caprivi Highway from Divundu at the Okavango River to a
point 100 km east |
