Turnhalle Constitutional Conference - Aftermath

Aftermath

As a result of the conference, many of the participating delegates agreed to aggregate their small, ethnically defined parties into one bigger body that was able to form a counterbalance to SWAPO. On 5 November 1977 they founded the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) with Clemence Kapuuo as first president. The parties that joined the DTA were:

• South West African Labour Party
• Rehoboth Baster Association, at that occasion renamed into Rehoboth DTA Party
• National Unity Democratic Organization
• South West Africa People's Democratic United Front
• Nama Alliance, at that occasion renamed into Namibia Democratic Turnhalle Party,
• Republican Party
• National Democratic Party

Additionally, three parties were founded for the purpose of joining the DTA:

• National Democratic Unity Party
• Tswana Alliance, later renamed to Seoposengwe Party
• Caprivi Alliance Party

The DTA won the subsequent 1978 South-West African legislative election by a landslide, claiming 41 of the 50 seats. This was largely due to the situation that only Whites could vote. SWAPO and the Namibia National Front boycotted the event. The United Nations Security Council declared the election "null and void", and the subsequent interim government illegitimate. The interim government, consisting of a National Assembly and a Council of Ministers, lasted until 18 January 1983 when South Africa again assumed full administrative authority over South-West Africa. 21 years after Namibian independence, the DTA is still represented in the Parliament of Namibia.