Andimba Toivo ya Toivo

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Andimba Herman Toivo ya Toivo (born August 22, 1924 in Omangundu , Oshikoto , South West Africa , today Namibia ; † June 9, 2017 in Windhoek ) was a Namibian human and civil rights activist . He was a co-founder and party chairman of SWAPO . Through his unyielding protest against the apartheid policy of South Africa on the territory of South West Africa, he became a symbol of freedom fighters for the later independent Namibia.

Life

Andimba Toivo ya Toivo's father worked for the Protestant church in his home region. For three years he attended the Ongwediva Industrial School , at that time a training center for vocational training. During World War II , Toivo ya Toivo served in the Union Defense Force's Native Military Corps from 1942 to 1943 . He then acquired the qualification of a teacher at the Anglican St. Mary's Mission School in Odibo . Since his teaching qualification in 1950 Toivo ya Toivo has worked as a teacher in northern Namibia.

In 1951 he left his country and went to Cape Town , where he found employment with the railway police. Toivo ya Toivo lived in Cape Town during the 1950s and became increasingly active against apartheid politics. In this sense, he took on tasks in the Modern Youth Society (MYS), a political-cultural grouping of university students and union members, where he was a member from 1954, which organized readings, festivals, discussion groups and evening school courses for activists. He later became the vice chairman of this organization, in which other anti-apartheid activists such as Denis Goldberg , Albie Sachs or Esme Bodenstein also participated. These activities became uncomfortable for the South African apartheid system, which is why he was sent back to his homeland in 1957. In 1957 Toivo ya Toivo joined the ANC's regional group in Langa Township , where he was based at the time. At the same time he attended political training events with Jack Simons , who taught as a professor at the University of Cape Town . As a result, a friendly relationship developed between the two, as well as with his wife and union activist Ray Alexander . The experience gained under these influences shaped his organizational skills and encouraged early reflections on political concepts. Toivo ya Toivo now began to establish contacts with other migrant workers from South West Africa. This was done in the evenings at a hairdressing salon at 35 Somerset Street in Cape Town, which belonged to two such migrant workers.

On August 2, 1957, he founded the first Namibian opposition party in Cape Town: the Ovamboland People's Congress (OPC), which initially became the Ovamboland People's Organization (OPO) and then on April 19, 1960 in Windhoek (together with his party friend Sam Nujoma ) SWAPO was born. The OPC was an organization of South West African students and guest workers in South Africa whose aim it was to campaign for the rights of migrant workers and against the annexation of South West Africa into the Republic of South Africa. The inaugural meeting took place in a hairdressing salon belonging to a South West African immigrant in the Cape Town district of Green Point .

Because of the inhumane treatment of black African mines -Arbeitern to Toivo ya Toivo 1958 involved in human rights - Petition of Mburumba Kerina and Rev. Michael Scott in front of the United Nations . Under political pressure, Nujoma left South West Africa and led a government in exile .

Andimba Toivo ya Toivo was in 1968, along with other activists, acclaimed internationally in and influential observers running process before the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa in Pretoria in application of the South African Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 to 20 years in prison and Sentenced to forced labor on Robben Island . His defense lawyer was Joel Carlson , who was also involved in mobilizing the international public. The observers present included leading international newspapers , such as Richard Falk from Princeton and Arthur Larson from Duke University , the latter here as a representative of the Lutheran World Federation . He spent his imprisonment in a solitary cell in Section B, where Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu also lived. He was released from prison in March 1984 (following a petition from Dirk Mudge ).

In his defense speech, he accused the presiding judge, Bruno Ludorf, of lack of jurisdiction:

“... We find ourselves tried by a judge who is not our countryman and who has not shared our background. ... We are Namibians and not South Africans. ... ”

“... We find ourselves before a judge who is not our compatriot and who does not share our common past. ... We are Namibians and not South Africans. ... "

At the start of the trial, there were public diatribes against the defendants in front of the courthouse in Pretoria, such as " Hang the Kaffirs " or "Kill the terrorists". The lawyer Carlson was in the government-loyal press with statements like "The Terrorists Lawyer" (German for example: "Der Terroristenanwalt") or "Who is paying the defense lawyer for the defense of the terrorists?" (German for example: "Who pays the defense lawyer for the defense of these terrorists? ") defamed . He was assumed to have communist- oriented motives and an influence from Moscow on himself . As a result, defense attorney Carlson felt compelled to inquire about the source of the fee through his solicitor in London and to disclose it. The money came from Lord Campbell of Eskan , a well-known member of the House of Lords .

The UN General Assembly condemned these months of trial against 37 Namibians ( The state v. Tuhadeleni and 36 Others , German: "The state against Tuhadeleni and 36 others") and described it as a "monstrous violation of their rights" because South Africa unlawfully expanded its legal system to include the UN mandate territory of South West Africa . The resolution was passed by 110 votes in favor and 2 against (South Africa, Portugal) and with Malawi abstaining .

After his release from prison Toivo ya Toivo returned to South West Africa / Namibia for a short time and became Secretary General of SWAPO in 1984. Shortly afterwards he went on exile abroad and held this party function until 1991.

After SWAPO's election victory and Namibia's independence , Toivo ya Toivo became Minister of Mines and Energy in 1990 , Minister Labor and Social Welfare since 1999, and finally Minister of Prisons and Correctional Services (prisons and welfare) until 2006 Correctional facility).

In 2005 Toivo ya Toivo retired from political life in Namibia and then worked in the private sector.

family

He had been married to the lawyer Vicki Erenstein since March 29, 1990 (then V. Erenstein ya Toivo). They met after his release in 1984 when Toivo ya Toivo, now SWAPO Secretary General, was staying at the United Nations in New York . At that time, Vicki Erenstein was working as an employment lawyer and for a long time as a political activist in a support group for the ANC and SWAPO. The couple had four children, including two adopted nephews - Isak and Philemon - and twin daughters Nashikoto and Mutaleni, born in 1993.

honors and awards

On June 13, 2017 , he was posthumously given hero status by President Hage Geingob . He was buried on June 24, 2017 on the Heldenacker near Windhoek.

On August 22, 2019, Ondangwa Airport was renamed to Andimba Toivo ya Toivo. A street in Windhoek is named after him.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Nahas A. Angula: Andimba Herman Toivo ya Toivo. Portrait of a Revolutionary Legend . Newsprint Namibia, Windhoek 2014, online at Namibia Digital Repository (English)
  2. ^ The Namibian : Namibian hero Toivo is no more . News from June 9, 2017 on www.namibian.com.na (English)
  3. ↑ Kagiso Pat Mautloa: Andimba Toivo ya Toivo . In: Mac Maharaj : Reflections in Prison . Cape Town 2001, p. 223 (English)
  4. ^ A b Nelson Mandela Center of Memory: Andimba Toiva Ya Toivo . on www.nelsonmandela.org (English)
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g South African History Online: Andimba Herman Toivo Ya Toivo . on www.sahistory.org.za (English)
  6. ^ South African History Online: Esme Bodenstein . on www.sahistory.org.za (English)
  7. ↑ Denis Goldberg : Denis Goldberg. ANC, ex-underground, former political prisoner. Work for the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry . (Interview with Denis Goldberg by Madi Gray). on www.liberationafrica.se (English)
  8. ↑ Albie Sachs : Obituaries: Professor Jack Simons . News from August 2, 1995 on www.independent.co.uk
  9. ^ South African History Online: South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) is founded to oppose South African rule . on www.sahistory.org.za (English)
  10. ^ Joel Carlson : No Neutral Ground . New York 1973, pp. 211-216
  11. ^ André du Pisani : SWA / Namibia: The Politics of Continuity and Change . Johannesburg 1986, p. 183
  12. ^ Joel Carlson: No Neutral Ground . New York 1973, p. 213
  13. ^ SAIRR : A Survey of Race Relations in South Africa 1968 . Johannesburg 1969, p. 60
  14. ^ Toivo Herman ja Toivo: Freedom for Namibia . on blackpast.org (English), complete speech
  15. ^ Joel Carlson: No Neutral Ground . New York 1973, pp. 179-181
  16. ^ Center for Research Libraries: The state teen Eliaser Tuhadeleni and 36 others . Online catalog entry on www.catalog.crl.edu (English, Afrikaans)
  17. ^ Joel Carlson: No Neutral Ground . New York 1973, p. 207
  18. ^ SAIRR: A Survey of Race Relations in South Africa 1968 . Johannesburg 1969, p. 303
  19. ↑ Prime Focus Magazine: Being Ms. Ya Toivo . on www.primefocusmag.com (English)
  20. ↑ Kayele M. Kambombo: Ya Toivo celebrates 90th birthday . at www.swapoparty.org (English)
  21. ↑ Ndanki Kahiurika: Ya Toivo buried today . News from June 24, 2017 on www.namibian.com.na (English)
  22. ^ Republic of Namibia, Office of the President: Confernment of National Hero's Status on Late Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo . Press release from June 13, 2017 on www.gov.na (English)
  23. ^ Ondangwa Airport renamed ya Toivo Airport. Namibia Airports Company, August 22, 2019, accessed on September 23, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Toivo ya Toivo, Andimba
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Toivo ya Toivo, Herman Andimba
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Namibian human and civil rights activist
DATE OF BIRTH August 22, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Omangundu , Oshikoto , South West Africa (now Namibia )
DATE OF DEATH June 9, 2017
Place of death Windhoek