SWAPO Party Youth League

SWAPO Party Youth League
Secretary General	Veikko Nekundi (acting)
Founded	1969
Headquarters	Windhoek, Namibia
Mother party	SWAPO
International affiliation	International Union of Socialist Youth, (IUSY) World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY)
Magazine	Oshinyanga
Website	www.spyl.com.na

The SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL) is the youth wing of the SWAPO Party, the ruling party of Namibia. It shares the same principles as those of the SWAPO Party. SPYL was born out of the crucibles of the anti-colonial struggle for freedom and national independence, and embodies the same principles as those of the SWAPO Party. SPYL serves as an active, revolutionary, and militant transmitting belt of the SWAPO Party ideology, policies and programmes.

Foundation

SPYL came into existence in 1969 after the SWAPO Tanga Consultative Congress in Tanzania adopted a new constitution. In 1971, the International Court of Justice declared South African occupation of Namibia as illegal. At that time there existed pervasive disgruntlement in the country due to the Odendaal Plan that was going to initiate a homelands policy. The Namibian youth took decisive action resulting in extensive protests at major colleges and schools. This include the general strike of 1971 and 1972 which was a major turning point in the Namibian struggle for national liberation. There was also a schools' boycott in northern Namibia in 1973 against the Bantustan policy. These activities resulted in the arrest and imprisonment at Robben Island of many youth leaders, including Nashilongo Taapopi, Jerry Ekandjo and Martin Kapewasha among others.

Once the Portuguese revolution struck in May 1974, it was possible for Namibian youth to leave the country via Angola. Thousands of youth left Namibia between May and December 1974 to join SWAPO abroad, majority ended up serving in the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). Youth activist Keshii Pelao Nathanael, was the leader of the internal radical youth inside the country. He and his youth group members orchestrated most of these strikes. He was elected as the founding president of the SWAPO Youth League at Oniipa Congress in 1974 before going into exile and <Nathanael Keshii, 2017: A Journey to Exile: The Story of a Namibian Freedom Fighter, ISBN 978-0954308100>.

Structure and Organs

The National Organs of SPYL are established under the SPYL constitution and are chaired by the Secretary. This are the Congress, which is the highest decision making body of SPYL, the Central Committee, and the National Executive Committee. The SPYL constitution also makes provision for duties and functions of SPYL national office-bearers which are:

• The Secretary
• Deputy Secretary
• Secretary for Finance and Administration
• Secretary for Information, Publicity and Mobilisation
• Secretary for International Affairs
• Secretary for Labour and Justice
• Secretary for Education, SWAPO Pioneer Movement and Culture
• Secretary for Economic Affairs
• Secretary for Health, Population and Environment
• Two additional members

Leaders of SPYL

• Keshii Pelao Nathanael, 1974 - 1976
• Ignatius Shixwameni, 1987 - 1997
• Paulus Kapia, 1997 – 2007
• Elijah Ngurare, 2007 – 2015 (expelled from position)
• Veiko Nekundi, 2015 – present (acting)

Other notable people

• Job Amupanda, Former SPYL Secretary for Information
• Jerry Ekandjo, Government Minister; member of SPYL from 1963–79
• Natangwe Ithete, Deputy Minister of Finance and former Secretary of Education of SPYL 2007-2012.
• Ndali Che Kamati, Nambian Ambassador to Russia,former Vice President of International Union of Students and well known SPYL activist during the 1980s.
• Naftali Kambungu, Vice President of the World Federation of Democratic Youth and former Secretary of Labour and Justice of SPYL 2012-2015.
• Kazenambo Kazenambo, former Government Minister, Member of the SPYL Central Committee from 1991–2002
• Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Prime Minister of Namibia and former Secretary of Economic Affairs of SPYL 1997-2002.
• Peya Mushelenga, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and former Secretary of International Affairs of SPYL 2007-2012.
• Charles Ndaxu Namoloh, Minister of Safety and Security,he fled to Zambia with SPYL in 1974
• Sakeus Shanghala, Attorney General of Namibia and former Secretary of Labour and Justice of SPYL 2007-2012.
• Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment and Tourism and former Central Committee of SPYL 1997-2002.
• Piet van der Walt, Government Minister, businessperson