[1][2] South-West Africa, present day Namibia, became a German protectorate in 1884 by the decree of Otto von Bismarck.

[9][10] After this war, the surviving Herero people were prohibited from practising their religion, were barred from possessing livestock or land, as well as unable to have chiefs as per their traditional customs.

[14] Following the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference the system of Bantustans was replaced in 1980 by Representative Authorities which functioned on the basis of ethnicity only and were no longer based on geographically defined areas.

As second-tier authorities, forming an intermediate tier between central and local government, the representative authorities had responsibility for land tenure, agriculture, education up to primary level, teachers' training, health services, and social welfare and pensions and their Legislative Assemblies had the ability to pass legislation known as Ordinances.

[20][21] Andre du Pisani, a Namibian political scientist, stated on the involvement of the Herero through the Chief Clemens Kapuuo that: For most local observers Clemens Kapuuo's decision to participate in the Turnhalle constitutional conference came as a surprise, for here was a man openly opposed to South Africa's policies of ethnic fragmentation in Namibia.

[16][17] Clemens Kapuuo, the chief of the Herero, as well as Dirk Mudge, who was the chairman of the conference and an associate of the white minority rule, formed the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) which was promoted by the apartheid regime in South Africa.

[16][17] The new constitution set up a parliamentary regime, a decentralised government that was based on ethnic authorities, as well as a bill of rights.

[16][17] After the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, South Africa introduced a General Administrator who abolished white representation within the Namibian government, as well as other apartheid laws.

In 1960, as part of a liberation movement, the South-West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) was created and SWAPO's military, known as the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), started a guerilla war in 1966 which led to the end of the illegal occupation of South Africa over South-West Africa in 1988.

[24][25][26][27] He became a founding member of the South-West African National Union (SWANU), as well as being considered one of the early leaders of Namibia.

[28][29] Clemens Kapuuo, who was born on 16 March 1923 in Teufelsbach in Okahandja, was a Namibian nationalist and the successor to Chief Hosea Kutako.

[20][21] The new chief and politician fought against colonial rule, however later he became controversial due to his involvement in the Turnhalle Conference in 1975 which was sponsored by apartheid South Africa.

[38][39] Gottlob Hengombe Mbaukua was born in 1935 and was elected as the chairman of the executive committee of the Hereroland from August 1987 until October 1987 and from February 1988 until May 1989.