75 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
75 lines
3.6 KiB
Markdown
The **Namibian General Strike of 1971** was a [general
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strike](List_of_General_Strikes "wikilink") in
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[Namibia](Namibia "wikilink") (then a part of [South
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Africa](South_Africa "wikilink")) that occurred in
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[1971](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Southern_Africa "wikilink")
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and [1972](Revolutions_of_1967_-_1975 "wikilink"), led by indigenous
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Ovambo attempting to gain greater workers rights and struggling against
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the governments [Apartheid](Apartheid_\(South_Africa\) "wikilink")
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policies.
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## Background
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After [World War I](World_War_I "wikilink") and the
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[collapse](German_Revolution_\(1918\) "wikilink") of the German Empire,
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South Africa gained the former german colony and began to force people
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there to live under the Apartheid system. In addition to this,
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indigenous people were required to perform [forced
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labor](Slavery "wikilink") for [capitalists](Capitalism "wikilink"),
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peaceful protests and petitions to end this system began in 1957 but
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were largely ineffective.
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## Events
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In June of 1971, strikes began, police arrested strikers but failed to
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contain the unrest.
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From August to December Church leaders met with the South African Prime
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Minister and the Commissioner General for Northern Native Territories,
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Jan De Wet. Negotiations during this time were unsuccessful. At one of
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these meetings De Wet even stated that the system was voluntary and
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that, if Ovambos and other native Namibians were against the contract
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system, they would not ask for the contracts. The truth is that there
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was no other way for them to earn a living. Miners, cleaners, healthcare
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workers, builders and cooks all went on strike. After two days of
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government-striker negotiations in Grootfontein, Namibia, the South
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African government officially abolished the contract labor system. The
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new regulations allowed laborers to apply for jobs at labor
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bureaucracies in Ovamboland. The workers could choose their jobs and
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were paid based on the type of work and individual contracts. Both
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laborers and employers could end the contract at any time. Employers had
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to provide free medical care. There was no provision for family
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accompaniment to places of work.
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Many workers felt that poor conditions were still present within this
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new system and so continued to strike. Church leaders spoke out against
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the new system, just as they had spoken out against the contract labor
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system. On January 26, the South African government sent troops to
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Ovamboland to keep order. The next day there was a news blackout within
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the tribal area. Throughout the whole ordeal police broke up meetings
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with violence, killing ten Ovambos. Two more Ovambo strikers were killed
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by fellow tribesmen that were against the strikes and the South African
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government exiled 20 clergymen from Ovamboland.
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On February 4, South Africa declared emergency laws that banned
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gatherings of more than five people in Ovamboland.
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On February 14, twelve strikers were put on trial for breaking contract
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and starting the general strike. Most charges were dropped when the
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trial ended in June. The trial revealed many of the horrific conditions
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in the labor compounds.
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Workers continued strikes until April in protest of the unchanged
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conditions under the new system. During this time the Secretary-General
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of the U.N. met with Ovambo leaders to hear their stories.
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## Results
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The strike led to an end of forced labour and a greater desire for an
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independent Namibia. Workers rights were signifi
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## References
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[Global Nonviolent Action
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Database](Global_Nonviolent_Action_Database "wikilink") -
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<https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/ovambo-migrant-workers-general-strike-rights-namibia-1971-72> |