Mishake Muyongo

Mishake Muyongo (1976)

Mishake Muyongo (born April 28, 1940) is a Namibian politician and former Member of Parliament who is currently living in exile in Denmark.

Muyongo was born in Linyanti, South-West Africa. In September 1964, Muyongo became the president of the Caprivi African National Union (CANU) when its leader Simbwaye was detained by the South African Police.[1] Muyongo fled to Zambia shortly after security forces raided the CANU office in Katima Mulilo. While living in exile in Dar es Salaam, Muyongo negotiated a merger with Sam Nujoma's South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) party.

Both parties would fight together to liberate Namibia from South African rule. Muyongo held various positions in SWAPO before he was expelled in 1980: representative in Zambia (1964-1965), educational secretary (1966-1970), SWAPO Vice-President (from 1970).[2]

In 1985, Muyongo led his CANU into a new political party, the United Democratic Party which soon joined the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) group of parties but was expelled again in 1998 after rumours of secessionism surfaced.[3] He was a member of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1999. In the 1994 presidential election he placed second, behind President Sam Nujoma, with 23.08% of the vote.[4] After Muyongo expressed support for Caprivi secession in 1998, he was suspended from the DTA in August 1998 at an extraordinary meeting of the party's executive committee.[5] Muyongo fled the country with Chief Boniface Mamili of the Lozi allied Fwe people. Other Caprivians, including the former governor of the Caprivi Region (today Zambezi Region), John Mabuku.[6] fled to Botswana at the same time. Muyongo was replaced as DTA President by Katuutire Kaura, who called for Muyongo to be brought back and put on trial.[7]

Muyongo fled and found exile in Denmark and escaped the Caprivi treason trial in Namibia.[8] Purportedly Nujoma had agreed to an independent Caprivi, once SWAPO succeeded in winning Namibian independence.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Where others wavered
  2. ↑ Klaus Dierks Biography of Mishake Muyongo.
  3. ↑ "Caprivi political party declared illegal". afrol News/IRIN. 2006-09-11.
  4. ↑ Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 428.
  5. ↑ "Namibia: Opposition party reportedly suspends leader", SAPA, August 25, 1998.
  6. ↑ "Namibia: Mabuku Dies in Exile". The Namibian (AllAfrica.com). 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  7. ↑ "Namibia: Party leader says ex-opposition leader Muyongo should return, be tried", NBC Radio, Windhoek, October 31, 1998.
  8. ↑ "High Treason Suspect Muyongo’s fate to be determined by the UNHCR", November 2001.
  9. ↑ "'SECRET' Nujoma-Muyongo document surfaces", The Namibian, January 24, 2007.

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