| 1998 |
The structural
development of the Namibian economy can be summarised as follows: On the
macro-level, there is a long-term decline of the primary sector (from 41,0%
of GDP in 1981 to 29.5% in 1998). This decline was largely to the benefit of
the tertiary sector (from 40,9% to 53,0% presently). The contribution of the
secondary sector declined insignificantly (from 18,1% to 17,5%).
Although the mining contribution to GDP has declined since 1990, it still
remains an important economic sub-sector, due to its contribution to foreign
exchange earnings and taxation. The mining of diamonds becomes increasingly
important.
The agricultural sub-sector faced serious shocks over the last eight years,
due to several droughts. This sector continues to be divided into two broad
sub-sectors: the communal tenure areas and freehold areas. The former
comprise approximately 48% of total agricultural land. Access to land is
obtained through customary land tenure regimes, and no outright ownership of
land is possible. The remaining 52% of agricultural land is owned under
freehold title by approximately 4 500 commercial farmers. Commercial farming
contribute roughly twice as much to GDP as subsistence farming (6,4 % for
commercial farming and 2,9% for subsistence farming in 1990; for 1998 these
figures have changed to 5,5% and 2,5% respectively). Despite its low
contribution to GDP, subsistence agriculture is the main source of income
for more than 40% of the Namibian population (about 150 000 communal
farmers). Commercial agriculture, on the other hand, employs in the region
of 35 000 farm workers, who, together with their dependants, amount to
approximately 150 000 people. This represent slightly less than 10% of the
total labour force. While widespread retrenchment of farm labourers has
taken place since Independence, no data for this could be obtained but this
fact contributes to increasing pressure to accelerate Namibia’s land reform.
In 1990 the total national cattle herd amounted to 2 054 056 animals. As a
result of the drought in 1992/93 this figure decreased to approximately 1,9
million. Up to 1998 this figure increased again to 2 134 077, with a
decrease in the commercial areas and an increase in the communal areas in
the north.
The fishery sector has seen high growth (from 1,7% in 1981 to 4,4% in 1998).
Within the manufacturing sector, the importance of fish processing has
tripled between the early 1980s and the present time, although from a small
base. The manufacturing sector is slowly diversifying, but is still largely
based on the processing of agricultural products.
The tertiary sector is dominated by the still increasing government service.
Its share increased from 15,8% in 1981 (20% of GDP in 1982) to 24,9% in 1998
(27% of GDP in 1997).
In the education sector, overall enrolment in Grades one to 12 increased
from nearly 375 000 in 1991 to 497400 in 1998. Training at the higher and
middle professional levels has slightly increased from 1 866 students in
1995 to 2 041 students in 1998 in the Colleges of Education. At the
University of Namibia (UNAM) there are 3 454 students (1995: 3 501), at the
Polytechnic of Namibia 3 498 students (1995: 3 272) and the Vocational
Training Centres 641 learners (1995: 1 338).
After nearly ten years of experience with foreign donor assistance, it can
be stated that a "development aid dependency syndrome" has not developed in
the given Namibian context, as donor funds are not a dominant income source
for the Government. Donor aid has nevertheless played an important role
throughout the years since Independence. Over the years, disbursements by
foreign donors have averaged 5,0% of GDP per annum, peaking at 6,0% in 1998.
As in previous years, free-standing technical co-operation represents the
biggest part of external assistance, followed by investment project
assistance and investment-related technical co-operation. |
| 14./17.01. |
The roof organisation
of the Namibian trade union, the NUNW, holds its second congress since
independence. In spite of the presence of high representatives of the state,
the trade union criticises sharply the Namibian Government. Especial
criticism is levelled against the privatisation plans and the ailing land
policy of the Government. |
| 15.01. |
A pilot training
college at Keetmanshoop which was initiated by Deputy Minister for Works,
Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, before independence (January
1990) comes one step nearer to reality. A mission under the leadership of
Klaus Bauer, Vice-President of Dornier International Logistics, Munich,
visits Keetmanshoop in order to evaluate such an aviation training centre
and to start the planning process. |
| 21.01. |
President Sam Nujoma
visits Harare. One week later he travels to Pretoria (29.01.). |
| 02.02. |
Klaus Dierks signs on
behalf of the Namibian Government a N$ 88,7 million contract with Rumdel
Construction (Pty) Ltd. for the construction of a section of the Trans
Caprivi Highway between Wenela (Zambia border) and Ngoma (Botswana border)
in the Caprivi Region. The company will also rehabilitate the two bridges
over the Bukalo Channel and the Chobe River at Ngoma. The project is
expected to be completed within 27 months. It follows a detailed
environmental impact assessment and a study on the impact the highway will
have on women. The contractor has to give employment to at least 20 per cent
women as unskilled workers. At least 50% per cent of the unskilled workers
have to be registered ex-PLAN combatants. The project is financed by the
German Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). The finance was
negotiated by Klaus Dierks.
The Trans Caprivi Highway (Section: Wenela
(Zambian Border) - Katima Mulilo - Ngoma (Botswana Border)), Km 30 southeast
of Katima Mulilo near Bukalo: Crossing the Bukalo Channel between Zambezi
and the Liambezi Lake, View to the Northwest, February 2003
Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks
The Trans Caprivi Highway (Section: Wenela
(Zambian Border) - Katima Mulilo - Ngoma (Botswana Border)), Km 40 southeast
of Katima Mulilo near Ikumwe, View to the Southeast, February 2003
Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks
The Trans Caprivi Highway (Section: Wenela
(Zambian Border) - Katima Mulilo - Ngoma (Botswana Border)), Km 40 southeast
of Katima Mulilo near Ikumwe, View to the Northwest, February 2003
Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks
The Trans Caprivi Highway (Section: Wenela
(Zambian Border) - Katima Mulilo - Ngoma (Botswana Border)), Km 60 southeast
of Katima Mulilo at Ngoma Borderpost, View to the Northwest, February 2003
Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks
  
The Trans Caprivi Highway (Section: Wenela
(Zambian Border) - Katima Mulilo - Ngoma (Botswana Border)), 61 km southeast
of Katima Mulilo, View to the South into Botswana, Ngoma Bridge over the
Chobe River: The Namibia/Botswana Border is at the Middle of the Bridge,
February 2003
Copyright of Photos: Dr. Klaus Dierks |
| 06.02. |
On the anniversary of
Uukwanyama King Mandume ya Ndemufayo’s death in 1917, a new Uukwanyama king,
Ohamba (Oshivambo: traditional title) Cornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu,
is sworn in at Ohangwena. |
| 07./14.02. |
Prime Minister Hage
Geingob visits Burkina Faso. |
| 16.02. |
The second elections
for the Local Authorities which were scheduled for the beginning of December
1997 and which were postponed, due to some formal omissions by the Election
Commission, take place. Of 188 302 registered voters only 63 545 take part
(34%) at the local elections. SWAPO gets more than 60% and is victorious in
26 of 45 cities and towns. The DTA achieves 24% of the votes and independent
groups get eight percent. |
| 25.02./28.02. |
President Sam Nujoma
participates in the World Economic Forum at Monaco. |
| 01./02.03. |
President Nujoma
takes part at the summit of heads of state of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) in Maputo. |
| 04.03. |
Senior management at
TransNamib partly attributes the company’s losses of N$ 47 million, as
released in TransNamib’s annual report for 1997, to the interferences of the
Minister of Works, Transport and Communication, Oskar Valentin Plichta. This
is denied by the Deputy Minister, Klaus Dierks. He maintains that the losses
are due to bad management within the company. He says that the losses by
TransNamib are due to the on-going losses by the national air carrier, Air
Namibia (N$ 48,6 million as a result of 34% hike in operating costs) which
in the past had been made up for by the company’s investment in assets. Many
of these assets are now depleted. Air Namibia had mainly incurred losses on
its international route which had a negative ripple effect on the Namibian
railways as there are no funds to upgrade the railway system or buy new
locomotives. |
| 04./08.03. |
The German Federal
President, Roman Herzog, visits Namibia. This state visit results in some
irritations on the Namibian side due to Herzog’s refusal to acknowledge the
calls by some members of the Ovaherero community for compensation in
consequence of the Ovaherero-German War 1904 to 1906 and his demand for
special language rights for the German speaking group in Namibia. In the
case the of compensation for the Ovaherero, Herzog maintains that "no
international legislation existed at the time under which ethnic minorities
could get reparations". Mburumba Kerina counters by claiming that the
SecondHague Convention, dated 29.07.1899, at which the Germans were
represented, outlaws "reprisals against civilians on the losing side".
Herzog dismisses the idea of an apology "because too much time had passed to
make sense". However, the Germans try to defuse the situation by putting the
responsibility for the statements on the shoulders of the German
interpreter. |
| 15.03. |
Klaus Dierks
announces that the Government plans to auction hundreds of state-owned
houses because they have proved too costly to be efficiently maintained. The
current rents which are received for these government houses are too low to
cover the minimum maintenance costs. These unproductive houses area heavy
burden on the Government. It is also not fair that only a few Government
officials are benefiting from the housing scheme. |
| 18./19.03. |
Hage Geingob visits
Botswana. |
| 20.03. |
Peter Hilinganye
Mweshihange (he was Namibia's ambassador in the People's Republic of China)
dies. |
| 25.03. |
The Minister for
Finance, Nangolo Mbumba, tables the Budget for the Financial Year 1998/99.
The budget reflects the worsening economic situation caused by the world
economic crisis. The budget makes provision for an expenditure of N$ 6 784
million, an increase of 17,9% against 1997/98 which is again more than the
inflation rate of 6,21% for the year. This increment is covered by tax
increases. The General Sales Tax (GST) climbs from 8% to 10%. Taxes for
groups with high incomes in excess of N$ 100 000 per annum and for companies
rise from 38% to 40%. The two sectors education and health still receive
with 39% the biggest share of the total expenditure. The vote for the
coverage of interests for the increased debt jumps with N$ 442 million to
6,9% of the total budget. The expected deficit is estimated with 3,8% and
increases the total debts (N$ 3 900 million including foreign loans of N$
545 million) from 21% to 23,4% of the GDP. The Namibia Dollar which is still
linked to the South African Rand experiences a dramatic weakening against
hard currencies (losses: 17,2% against the US$, 18,6% against the DM, 11%
against the Yen and 20% against the British Pound). This results in an
increase in the prime rate of the Bank of Namibia to a record level of
20,75%. |
| 25.03./29.03. |
President Sam Nujoma
visits the Netherlands. From there he travels to the Russian Federation
(29.03./01.04.). |
| 05./10.04. |
The
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) holds its conference in Windhoek. |
| 01./15.05. |
Prime Minister Hage
Geingob visits London, New York and Frankfurt. |
| 17.04. |
The Government is
surprised by the unexpected closure of the Tsumeb Corporation Limited (TCL)
by the South African mining concern Goldfields. This sudden closedown of
several mines (the copper mines at Kombat, Otjihase, Khusib Springs and the
copper smelter in Tsumeb, the mine at Tsumeb had already closed in 1996 due
to the exhaustion of the ore) of TCL is in conflict with the Namibian mining
legislation. Goldfields gives as reasons the low world market metal prices,
management problems and consequences of the strike at Tsumeb during 1996.
Two thousand employees loose their jobs and the economic survival of Tsumeb
is threatened. Also Namibia’s state owned railway company TransNamib loses
one of her major customers. Rössing Uranium of Arandis, a transnational firm
of parent company Rio Tinto Zinc, is forced to import Pyrite which so far
was obtained from Tsumeb, for higher world market prices from outside.
Efforts to revitalise the Tsumeb mines by a joint venture between the
Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) and some managers of the Tsumeb
Corporation Limited (TCL) do not materialise during 1998. However, with
direct engagement of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, during 1999 and 2000,
the joint venture between the trade union and some managers of the former
TCL becomes reality. The new mining concern Ongopolo Mining Pty. Ltd. (Oshivambo:
Ongopolo means copper) (Managing Director: Andre Neethling) comes into
existence and develops in one of Namibia’s greater success stories. |
| 01.05. |
The President of the
National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) criticises sharply the illegal
closure of the mines of the Tsumeb Corporation Limited (TCL) by the South
African mining concern Goldfields. He accuses many foreign investors in
Namibia to exploit Namibia’s human and natural resources. |
| 01./15.05. |
Prime Minister Hage
Geingob visits London, New York and Frankfurt. |
| 08.05. |
Sam Nujoma travels to
Luanda. |
| 09.05. |
The SWAPO Central
Committee discusses the third term in office for President Sam Nujoma, as
decided on the SWAPO Congress in May 1997. Such a further term in office
would require an amendment to the Namibian Constitution which is
accomplishable due to SWAPO’s majority of 72% in the National Assembly. It
is legally argued that Nujoma’s first term was not in agreement with
Namibia’s Constitution, because this term was the consequence of the UNO-supervised
Elections for the Constituent Assembly, 1989. The Central Committee confirms
a further term for President Nujoma. |
| 14./15.05. |
President Nujoma
participates in a regional conference in Kinshasa. |
| 17./19.05. |
The World Economic
Forum takes place in Windhoek. Six Heads of State are present at this
prestige event: Frederick Chiluba from Zambia, Joaquim Chissano from
Mozambique, Laurent Desire Kabila from the DRC, Festus Mogae
from Botswana, King Mswati III from Swaziland and Robert Mugabe from
Zimbabwe. Also South Africa’s Vice President, Thabo Mbeki, attends the
Forum. |
| 20./23.05. |
Prime Minister Hage
Geingob participates in the Expo in Lisboa. |
| 26./28.05. |
Nujoma goes on a
state visit to Malawi. |
| 07./10.06. |
Sam Nujoma takes part
at the OAU summit in Burkina Faso. |
| 23.06. |
The HIV-Aids Rate
climbs to 20% among the age group of between 15 and 49 years. |
| 25./26.06. |
President Jacques
Chirac from France visits Namibia. |
| 28./29.06. |
Nujoma participates
in the Conference of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
in Kinshasa. |
| 24.06./14.07. |
Hage Geingob visits
Frankfurt, Switzerland, Madrid and Paris (and again Paris from 06.09.
to15.09.). |
| 01.07. |
The Deputy Minister
for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, makes known that it is
envisaged to establish a locomotive assembly plant in Namibia, possibly in
Usakos. This plant would be a joint venture between Germany, South Africa
and Namibia. It is planned to assemble diesel locomotive of the latest
design not only for TransNamib, but for the whole African market. |
| 07.07. |
The Minister without
Portfolio, Lucas Hifikepunye Pohamba, announces in the National Assembly
that the SWAPO leadership has approved a third term in office for President
Sam Nujoma. |
| 16./20.07. |
Prime Minister Hage
Geingob visits Johannesburg. |
| 21.07. |
The Cabinet has
instructed the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication to realise the
proposed Northern Extension Railway Line from Tsumeb to Oshikango as top
priority. The idea is to link this railway line later with the Angolan
railway network at Entrocamento (Mossamedes Railway Line). |
| 24.07. |
The workers from the
Namibia Port Authority (NamPort) conduct a strike which paralyses for a
while Namibia’s two ports, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. Some time before this
strike action the Namibian trade unions and the public and private employers
had agreed general wage increases in a harmonious atmosphere (between eight
and 29%). |
| 25./29.07. |
The recommendations
of the World Economic Forum in Windhoek (May 1998) are followed up by the
Southern African International Dialogue in Swakopmund. Except Joaquim
Chissano from Mozambique, Festus Mogae from Botswana,
the King of Swaziland, Mswati III, Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe and South
Africa’s Vice-President, Thabo Mbeki, also Benjamin Mpaka from Tanzania,
Yoveri Museveni from Uganda and Bin Mohamad Mahathir from Malaysia
participate in the event. |
| 29./31.07. |
In order to defuse
the conflict around the two Chobe River islands Kasikili and Situndu,
Botswana’s President, Festus Mogae, visits Namibia, after the two countries
had agreed on 05./06.05. to resolve the problem by peaceful means only. |
| 01.08. |
The road
rehabilitation project between Otavi and Otjiwarongo is completed one month
ahead of schedule. The Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and
Communication, Klaus Dierks, had played a key role in the realisation of
this project. |
| 05./06.08. |
Sam Nujoma travels to
Abuja in Nigeria. From there he proceeds to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
(07./08.08.). These official missions are followed by visits to Luanda
(16.08.), Cape Town (20.08.), and to a summit of heads of state of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Pretoria (23.08.) in order
to find solutions to the conflict in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC). |
| 06.08. |
Renewed
demonstrations of Ex-PLAN soldiers who march in protest for jobs take place.
One group tries to demonstrate before the Office of the President. This
demonstration is quickly dissolved by the Namibian Police. President Nujoma
tries to calm down some groups of ex-soldiers in the north (08.08.).
Consequently the Cabinet decides on a programme to establish additional jobs
(11.08.). The Windhoek group increases to 1 500 Ex-PLAN combatants. The
Minister for Home Affairs, Jerry Ekandjo, announces the establishment of a
Technical Committee to Evaluate Rightful Claims of Ex-Combatants (14.08.).
Thereafter the ex-soldiers withdraw to the area of the Windhoek Fair. In the
north the group of Ex-PLAN soldiers grows to more than 3 000. After the
closing date of the registration of the rightful claimants, the Minister of
Information and Broadcasting, Ben Amathila, makes known that 6 427
ex-soldiers get jobs and 3 049 receive a war veteran pension. |
| 16.08. |
During a meeting in
Luanda the two presidents of Namibia and Zimbabwe decide to support
militarily the President of the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), Laurent
Desire Kabila, in the war in the DRC. This war had its roots in Kabila’s
rise to power the previous year. Foreign forces (especially from Rwanda and
Uganda, but with assistance from SADC members such as Angola, Zambia and
Zimbabwe as well) had in 1997 led the drive to oust longstanding Zaire
dictator Mobuto Sese Seko, and install Kabila in his place. But Kabila’s
position was far from secure, and when his eastern allies found that their
security needs were not being met, they supported yet another rebellion. The
new war is followed by Kabila’s request for assistance in the conflict in
Harare on 17.08. because the war seriously endangers his position as
president.
Namibia reacts with a general declaration of support on 19.08. |
| 19.08. |
First rumours
regarding a threatening secession movement in the Caprivi Region turn up.
The Government reacts immediately with a strong warning that such
initiatives will be regarded as high treason and treated accordingly. It is
also rumoured that the President of the DTA, Mishake Muyongo, is the
instigator of such unconstitutional activities. |
| 23.08. |
After evidence is
achieved that Muyongo is in fact involved in the Caprivi secessionist
activities, he is suspended from all his political offices by the DTA party
leadership. |
| 24.08. |
First rumours about a
Namibian military involvement in the DRC war make the round in Windhoek. |
| 26.08. |
President Sam Nujoma
confirms for the first time that Namibia is directly involved in the war in
the DRC. Namibia’s military engagement has been sanctioned by him in his
capacity as the supreme commander of the NDF without consulting the Namibian
Parliament and Cabinet. This proclamation is followed by the announcement of
the first Namibian casualties in this war on 01.09. |
| 27.08. |
The High Commissioner
in London, Ben Ulenga, severely criticises the SWAPO Party. His main
reasoning is the third office term for President Sam Nujoma, although he
has, as a member of the SWAPO Central Committee, not levelled any critic for
such a further term in the past. Further reasons are Namibia’s participation
in the war in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) and the insufficient
integration of former PLAN combatants into the Namibian society.
Consequently Ulenga is dismissed as High Commissioner with immediate effect. |
| 29./30.08. |
The Extraordinary
SWAPO Congress has not any more the third term of office for President Sam
Nujoma on its agenda, but decides on an amended Party Constitution with 71
changes against the 1991 Party Constitution. |
| 30./31.08. |
India’s Prime
Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, visits Namibia. |
| 01.09. |
The Cuban president,
Fidel Castro, stops for several hours at the Hosea Kutako International
Airport Windhoek. |
| 01./02.09. |
President Nujoma
travels to a meeting of the block free countries in Durban where Southern
African leaders are trying to achieve a negotiated settlement to the war in
the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC). The dispute between those who favour
intervention in the war, led most vocally by Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe, and those favouring negotiation, led by Nelson Mandela, supported by
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, grows quite bitter. Nujoma defends
Namibia’s military participation in the war in the DRC. This mission is
followed by further visits to the independence celebrations in Swaziland
(05./06.09), to Victoria Falls in order to discuss the war in the DRC, a
further summit of heads of state of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) at Mauritius (13./15.09.), to Mozambique (15./17.09.) and
to a conference of French speaking countries in Gabon (24.09.). |
| 03./05.09. |
Algeria’s President,
Liamine Zeroual, visits Namibia. |
| 11.09. |
In a TV Speech to the
Nation, President Sam Nujoma defends Namibia’s participation in the war in
the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) and maintains that this engagement is
required as a peace keeping effort and is necessitated by the spirit of
African Unity and in order to find African solutions for African problems. |
| 18./25.09. |
Prime Minister Hage
Geingob travels to Rome and New York. |
| 28.09. |
SWAPO
Secretary-General, Lucas Hifikepunye Pohamba, justifies during a Television
broadcast an amendment of the Namibian constitution in order to pave the way
for a third term in office for President Sam Nujoma. |
| Beginning October |
The General Assembly
of the United Nations unanimously elects Namibia as non-permanent member of
the UN Security Council for the time period January 1999 to December 2000. A
similar honour was bestowed to Namibia when some time earlier Namibia’s
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Theo-Ben Gurirab, was elected as Chairman of
the UN General Assembly for the period 1999/2000. |
| 07.10. |
Prime Minister Hage
Gottfried Geingob tables legislation in order to amend the Constitution to
allow a further term for the President. This amendment law has to be
withdrawn for legal reasons (13.10.) because Geingob links this amendment
with a further constitutional amendment which allows the President to
appoint Regional Governors directly. Until now the governors who belong to
the Regional Councils were elected from the ranks from these Councils. To
link two constitutional amendments in a single piece of legislation is
legally not allowed. Therefore the second amendment is tabled separately by
the Minister for Regional and Local Government and Housing, Nicky Iyambo.
The first amendment law which allows for a third presidential term for
President Nujoma passes the two Houses of Parliament on 19.11. It is clear
that this constitutional amendment is only meant for Namibia’s founding
president and furthermore due to the legal argument that Nujoma’s first term
was not in accordance with Namibia’s Constitution, because this term was the
consequence of the UNO-supervised Elections for the Constituent Assembly of
1989. |
| 07./08.10. |
Prime Minister, Hage
Gottfried Geingob, calls for an Anti-Corruption-Conference in Windhoek.
Consequently the Cabinet approves guidelines for Anti-Corruption measures in
the civil service. |
| 09.10. |
A high level
delegation from the USA visits Namibia to further the information technology
(IT) for Namibia. Together with Gambia, Namibia has been chosen to develop
the Internet sector and serve as a bridge of technology transfer between the
United States of America and Africa. This visit is a follow-up on an
official visit by the Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and
Communication, Klaus Dierks, to the USA two weeks ago. |
| 13.01. |
TransNamib announces
that painful steps are required to stop the losses by the national air
carrier Air Namibia. Klaus Dierks welcomes this decision, cautions however,
that this action comes too late. He maintains that the Ministry of Works,
Transport and Communication since independence has warned the airline to
reduce its activities to domestic and regional air services only because
intercontinental services could not be provided by a small and vulnerable
airline like Air Namibia without a strong partner. |
| 15.10. |
With the involvement
of the SWAPO dissident, Ben Ulenga, the political pressure group "Forum for
the Future" is established in Windhoek. The majority of the participants are
frustrated, mainly "white" supporters of both the SWAPO Party and the DTA. |
| 28.10. |
The Minister for
Finance, Nangolo Mbumba, tables an Additional Budget for the Financial Year
1998/99. This Additional Budget of N$ 69 million is mainly caused by
additional expenditures for the Namibian participation in the war in the
Democratic Republic Congo (DRC)(N$ 30 million). With the revised budget the
expected deficit is increasing from 3,8% to 4,3% of the GDP.
The indications are getting stronger that the Caprivi secessionists even
maintain military training camps in the Caprivi Region. The Government has
no choice to put an end to these unconstitutional activities. In consequence
of government actions some armed secessionists escape to Botswana where 92
are arrested by the Botswana authorities.
In order to remove the trigger from the war in the Democratic Republic Congo
(DRC), South Africa’s President, Nelson Mandela, visits Windhoek. |
| 30.10. |
The secessionist
conflict in the Caprivi Region escalates. Some hundred involved persons
including Mishake Muyongo, the chief of the Fwe community in the Caprivi
Strip, Boniface Bebi Mamili, the Regional Governor, Mabuku, as well as a
couple of hundred San of the Kxoé group escape to Botswana. |
| 01.11. |
Sam Nujoma travels to
Lubumbashi for a meeting with the allied states to the war in the DRC. |
| 05.11. |
The Namibia Airports
Company Limited is established. |
| 06.11. |
The Minister for Home
Affairs, Jerry Ekandjo, provokes a public outcry when he announces in the
National Assembly that he intends to table a bill that prohibits
homosexuality in Namibia. However, the Prime Minister, Hage Gottfried
Geingob, corrects the statement of the Minister. |
| 17.11. |
Ulenga is suspended
during a meeting of the SWAPO Central Committee. Consequently Ulenga hints
that he considers to leave the SWAPO Party (19.11.). |
| 22./25.11. |
President Nujoma
visits Italy. From there he travels to the Franco-African Summit Meeting in
Paris (25./28.11.). |
| 30.11./01.12. |
The second elections
for the Regional Councils which were scheduled for the beginning of December
1997 and which were postponed, due to some formal omissions by the Election
Commission, take place. The voters’ participation of 34% during the
elections for the Local Authorities on 16.02. increases now to a little bit
more than 40% of approximately 800 000 registered voters. The SWAPO Party is
again victorious. She even manages to win the Caprivi Region from the DTA,
with a meagre 12% voters participation due to the secessionist conflict in
that region. |
| 30.11./02.12. |
Prime Minister Hage
Geingob visits Cape Town. |
| 03.12. |
News that five San of
the Kxoé group have died from hunger due to the chaotic circumstances in the
Caprivi Region are confirmed. |
| 04.12. |
In order to find a
solution to end the war in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), the
President of DRC, Laurent Desire Kabila, visits Namibia. |
| 04./09.12. |
Hage Geingob travels
to Tanzania. |
| Middle December |
The number of escaped
Caprivi secessionists is given with 2 200 including 1 000 of the Kxoé group.
All the people are in the care of the United Nations High Commission for
Refugees (UNHCR) in Botswana. One of the UNHCR camps is in Dukwe/Botswana. |
| 16./18.12. |
President Sam Nujoma
travels to a meeting of the Security Council of the OAU in Burkina Faso. |
| 16./19.12. |
Hage Geingob visits
Mali. |
| 23.12. |
The Deputy Minister
for Works, Transport and Communication, Klaus Dierks, makes known that the
final stage of the Trans Caprivi Highway, the Zambezi Bridge between Namibia
(Katima Mulilo) and Zambia (Sesheke), is delayed because Zambia has failed
to pay its debts to Germany, which is sponsoring the project. However, the
German government has agreed to provide a soft loan to Namibia N$ 63 million
for the rehabilitation of the Kongola to Katima Mulilo section of the Trans
Caprivi Highway. Dierks announces further that for technical and financial
reasons it has been decided between the two governments of Namibia and
Zambia to build the Zambezi Bridge on Zambian territory because the chosen
site is the optimal one in an engineering sense. Having the bridge entirely
built within Zambia would also eliminate the need for Zambian residents to
cross international borders when using the bridge to travel to Zambian towns
on the other side of the river. Another major factor influencing the
decision is that currently Zambia with its low per capita GDP, is eligible
for a direct grant from Germany, whereas Namibia would only have qualified
for a soft loan. |
