20th century – 20th century
Windhoek, Namibia
The Turnhalle Conference was a constitutional negotiation held in Windhoek in September 1975 after a year of talks led by the local National Party leader. Its delegates represented ethnic groups, with whites treated as one group, and excluded SWAPO as a national party. Nevertheless, the conference’s declaration of intent proposed movement toward independence as a single state with participation by all groups in a new government; in August 1976 it agreed on eventual independence.
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The Story
The Turnhalle Conference met at the Windhoek Turnhalle, or Gymnasium, at the beginning of September 1975. It followed a year of negotiations led by the local leader of the National Party. The structure of representation was organized around ethnic groups, with whites counted as one group, and SWAPO was excluded because it presented itself as a national party.
Despite this exclusion, the conference issued a declaration of intent that represented a significant change in the direction previously pressed by Pretoria. It proposed movement toward independence as a single state, with all groups participating in a new government. The formula sought to replace the prospect of territorial partition with a unified political framework.
The conference continued to shape the constitutional debate after its initial meeting. In August 1976, the Turnhalle Conference agreed on eventual independence. The extract places this development within a wider crisis involving South African administration, SWAPO resistance, regional war, and international pressure for Namibian self-determination.
20th century – 20th century
Windhoek, Namibia
The Turnhalle Conference was a constitutional negotiation held in Windhoek in September 1975 after a year of talks led by the local National Party leader. Its delegates represented ethnic groups, with whites treated as one group, and excluded SWAPO as a national party. Nevertheless, the conference’s declaration of intent proposed movement toward independence as a single state with participation by all groups in a new government; in August 1976 it agreed on eventual independence.
Continue exploring
The Story
The Turnhalle Conference met at the Windhoek Turnhalle, or Gymnasium, at the beginning of September 1975. It followed a year of negotiations led by the local leader of the National Party. The structure of representation was organized around ethnic groups, with whites counted as one group, and SWAPO was excluded because it presented itself as a national party.
Despite this exclusion, the conference issued a declaration of intent that represented a significant change in the direction previously pressed by Pretoria. It proposed movement toward independence as a single state, with all groups participating in a new government. The formula sought to replace the prospect of territorial partition with a unified political framework.
The conference continued to shape the constitutional debate after its initial meeting. In August 1976, the Turnhalle Conference agreed on eventual independence. The extract places this development within a wider crisis involving South African administration, SWAPO resistance, regional war, and international pressure for Namibian self-determination.