Damara Council

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The Damara Council was a political party in Damaraland, a Bantustan in South West Africa (now Namibia). In 1977 a breakaway faction joined the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), [1] while in 1989, the remainder of the DC was one of 8 political parties which formed the United Democratic Front. 6 of the 8 parties were ethnically affiliated, as they had taken part in the government's of various Bantustans. Since 1989, the UDF has maintained a presence in the National Assembly of Namibia, with Damara-speaking Namibians forming the core of the party. [2]

Damaraland former bantustan in South-West Africa (now Namibia)

Damaraland was a name given to the north-central part of what later became Namibia, inhabited by the Damaras. It was bounded roughly by Ovamboland in the north, the Namib Desert in the west, the Kalahari Desert in the east, and Windhoek in the south.

A Bantustan was a territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa, as part of the policy of apartheid. Ten Bantustans were established in South Africa, and ten in neighbouring South West Africa, for the purpose of concentrating the members of designated ethnic groups, thus making each of those territories ethnically homogeneous as the basis for creating "autonomous" nation states for South Africa's different black ethnic groups.

South West Africa former country, a mandate of South Africa

South West Africa was the name for modern-day Namibia when it was under South African administration, from 1915 to 1990.

Prominent members

Prominent members included Frans Migub ǀGoagoseb and Justus ǁGaroëb, both of whom ran other political parties as of the 2009 general election in Namibia.

Chief Frans Migub ǀGoagoseb is a Namibian politician and Damara leader. He is the party leader of the Namibian Democratic Movement for Change and was the party's candidate for President in the 2009 general election. In that election, ǀGoagoseb received 1,760 votes, placing eleventh out of twelve candidates for President. Only Attie Beukes of the Communist Party of Namibia received fewer votes than ǀGoagoseb.

Justus ǁGaroëb Namibian politician

Justus ǀUruhe ǁGaroëb is a Namibian traditional authority leader and politician. He was a staunch opponent of South African rule and led the oppositional Namibia National Front in the late 1970s. He became Gaob (king) of the Damara people in 1982 and founded the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1989.

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References

  1. ↑ Torreguitar, Elena (2009). National Liberation Movements in Office: Forging Democracy with African Adjectives in Namibia. European University Studies; Political Science. 567. Peter Lang. pp. 483–484. ISBN   3631579950.
  2. ↑ Wezi Tjaronda: Elections 2009 - UDF, the Undying Old Horse New Era via AllAfrica.com, 28 September 2009


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