Omugulugwombashe

Omugulugwombashe (also: Omugulu-Gwombashe, Omugulu-gwOombashe, and Omgulumbashe, Otjiherero: giraffe leg^[1]) is a settlement in the Tsandi electoral constituency in the Omusati Region of northern Namibia. The settlement features a clinic and a primary school.^[2] In Omugulugwombashe the Namibian struggle for independence started in 1966. Government of Namibia erected a monument in honour of this battle at the thirtieth anniversary of the start of the conflict in 1996.^[3]

Battle at Omugulugwombashe

In 1966 the United Nations General Assembly revoked South Africa's mandate to govern South-West African territory and placed it under direct UN administration. South Africa refused to recognize this resolution.^[4] Omugulugwombashe was a training camp established in June 1966 by commander John Ya Otto Nankudhu of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). The group under Nankudhu had just started to build defensive structures^[1] and planned to train about 90 soldiers there.^[5]

On 26 August, 1966, eight helicopters of the South African Defence Force attacked SWAPO guerrilla fighters at Omugulugwombashe. At the time of attack there were only 17 PLAN fighters in the camp.^[6] It was the first armed battle in the Namibian War of Independence.^[7] Among those imprisoned was Julius Shaambeni Shilongo Mnyika, who served 17 years of a life sentence before being released in 1985.

In commemoration of the day, August 26 is a public holiday in Namibia. It is recognized by the United Nations as Namibia Day^[8] but Namibians refer to it as Heroes' Day.

Omugulugwombashe Star

In memory of this battle, Namibia's first luxury passenger train from Windhoek to Ondangwa was named the Omugulugwombashe Star upon its first service on July 15, 2006.^[9] This train, manufactured in China, was however grounded after a few rounds of service, because the locomotives packed up shortly after inception and were found unsuitable for Namibia’s railway network. Afterwards, the weekly train service to Ondangwa was stopped.^[10]

See also

• South African Border War
• Namibian War of Independence
• SWAPO

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Dierks, Klaus. "Chronology of Namibian History, 1966". klausdierks.com. http://www.klausdierks.com/Chronology/108.htm. Retrieved 24 June 2011. 
2. ^ "Presidential and National Assembly Elections 2009". Supplement to several Namibian newspapers (Electoral Commission of Namibia). November 2009. 
3. ^ "Government Gazette No. 3679". Government of Namibia. 15 August 2006. http://www.saflii.org/na/other/NAGovGaz/2006/105.txt. 
4. ^ "Namibian War of Independence 1966-1988". Armed Conflict Events Database. http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/november/namibia1966.htm. Retrieved 30 November 2009. 
5. ^ "John Ya Otto Nankudhu passes on". New Era (NAMPA). 22 June 2011. http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=39291. 
6. ^ Sasman, Catherine (27 Aug 2010). "Julius Shaambeni Shilongo Mnyika: the guerilla [sic] fighter (1938 to 2003)". New Era. http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=12706. 
7. ^ Petronella Sibeene (17 April 2009). "Swapo Party Turns 49". New Era. http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=3769. 
8. ^ United Nations Conferences and Observances
9. ^ "Omugulugwombashe Star proving popular". The Namibian. 12 September 2006. http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=30156&no_cache=1. 
10. ^ "Chinese rails for Oshikango railway". The Namibian. 13 November 2009. http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=61788&no_cache=1. 

External links

• Omusati Regional Council - with a picture of Omugulugwombashe National Monument