DC35/NAMM/0006

On 15 February 1978 BJ Vorster, the Prime Minister of South Africa promised to grant South West Africa independence before the end of the year. This was to occur after South West Africa had held a general election. This election never took place, and South Africa continued to administer South West Africa as a province up until 1990, when South West Africa finally gained its independence and became known as Namibia. References: The Namibian War of Independence 1966-1988, Wars of the World [online]. Vorster died in Tygerburg Hospital in Cape Town in 1983 and was buried in Heroes Acre at the Dutch Reformed Church in Kareedouw in the Eastern Cape on 13 September 1983.