Histories of Namibia

Histories of Namibia
Living Through the Liberation Struggle

Life histories told to Colin Leys and Susan Brown

When Namibia gained its independence in 1990 after 23 years of war, most of the Ten Namibians whose life histories make up this book were in their mid-thirties. To that point their whole adult lives had been lived in the struggle, more than half of them in exile. Few of them owned anything. Most had endured hardship, hunger, sickness and fear, and witnessed terrible cruelty and suffering. All had lost family members or friends. Yet their outlook was triumphant and optimistic and their stories are full of enthusiasm, energy, determination and purpose.
When you read their stories you are not surprised that most of these people have since become well known in their chosen fields. Yet back in 1990 most of them were not well known. They just happened to be people we came to know and like in the course of our work (Brown as a journalist and development consultant, Leys as a social science researcher) and who we asked tell us their stories. They tell how a whole generation matured in the struggle, becoming skilled, disciplined, cosmopolitan and tough.

Contents:

Preface, Introduction,

Zhu Mbako: Diamonds and Supermarkets - Surviving inside Namibia

Ben Mulongeni: With SWAPO in exile – Zambia and Bulgaria

Petronella Coetzee: The Many Educations of a Namibian Activist

Veikko Munika: The North under South African military occupation

Johannes ‘Mistake’ Gaomab: With the People's Liberation Army of Namibia in Angola

Ilona Amakutuwa: With SWAPO in exile – Angola

Andre Strauss: Urban resistance inside Namibia

Paul Vleermuis: Rural resistance inside Namibia

Phil Ya Nangoloh: A Foreign Education – Angola, Russia, USA

Lindi Kazombaue: Inside Namibia - Women’s Liberation and National Liberation

Kenneth Abrahams: A Doctor in the struggle at Home and in Exile

Notes, map.

234x156 mm map viii+165pp