| SWAPO Party Youth League | |
| Secretary General: | Ephraim Nekongo[1] |
| Founded: | 1969 |
| International: | International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) |
| Magazine: | Oshinyanga |
The SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL), formerly known as the SWAPO Youth League (SYL), is the youth wing of the SWAPO Party, the ruling party of Namibia since 1990.[2] It shares the same principles as those of the SWAPO Party.[2]
SPYL came into existence in 1969 after the SWAPO Tanga Consultative Congress in Tanzania adopted a new constitution. In 1971, the International Court of Justice declared South African occupation of Namibia as illegal. At that time there existed pervasive disgruntlement in the country due to the Odendaal Plan that was going to initiate a homelands policy. The Youth league protested at major colleges and schools and participated at the general strike of 1971 and 1972, a major turning point in the Namibian fight for independence. There was also a schools' boycott in northern Namibia in 1973 against the Bantustan policy. These activities resulted in the arrest and imprisonment at Robben Island of many youth leaders, including Nashilongo Taapopi, Jerry Ekandjo and Martin Kapewasha among others.
Once the Portuguese revolution struck in May 1974, it was possible for Namibian youth to leave the country via Angola. Thousands of youth left Namibia between May and December 1974 to join SWAPO abroad, majority ended up serving in the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). Youth activist Keshii Pelao Nathanael, was the leader of the internal radical youth inside the country. He and his youth group members orchestrated most of these strikes. He was elected as the founding president of the SWAPO Youth League at the Oniipa Congress in 1974 before going into exile.[3] [4]
The National Organs of SPYL are established under the SPYL constitution and are chaired by the Secretary. These are the Congress, which is the highest decision making body of SPYL, the Central Committee, and the National Executive Committee. The SPYL constitution also makes provision for duties and functions of SPYL national office-bearers which are: