Turnhalle Constitutional Conference

The Turnhalle Constitutional Conference was a controversial conference held in Windhoek between 1975 and 1977, tasked with the development of a constitution for a self-governed Namibia under South African control. Sponsored by the South African government, the Turnhalle Conference laid the framework for the government of South West Africa from 1977 to independence in 1989.

The conference was held in defiance of the 1972 United Nations General Assembly decision to recognise the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) as "sole legitimate representative" of Namibia's people. Consequently, SWAPO, as well as other political groups rejecting apartheid, did not participate, and the UN rejected the conference and its proposals.

As a result of the Turnhalle Conference the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance party was formed in 1977, which won the 1978 elections and formed an interim government.

After Imperial Germany lost its colonies as a result of World War I, South Africa took over the administration of the territory of South West Africa as their de facto fifth province, since 1920. This mandate over South West Africa was granted by the League of Nations, the predecessor of the UN. A request to annexe the territory right away was, however, not granted. When South Africa introduced apartheid legislation in 1948 after an election victory of the right-wing National Party, these laws also extended to South West Africa.

In 1960, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) was founded. SWAPO soon began an armed guerrilla war against South African forces, and for this purpose formed its military wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) in 1962. The Namibian War of Independence, which soon escalated into the South African Border War, started in August 1966. Later that year, the UN General Assembly revoked South Africa's mandate to govern South West Africa, and created the position of a United Nations Commissioner for Namibia. In 1972 it recognised SWAPO as the 'sole legitimate representative' of Namibia's people.

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