Sebastian Kamwanga (29 April 1929 – 22 January 1999) was aHompa (king) of theGciriku, one of five kingdoms of theKavango people in northernNamibia, from 1985 to 1999. His royal seat was situated atMamono. He sat in the Legislative Council and the Executive Council ofKavangoland from 1973 until Namibian independence in 1990 whenBantustans were abolished along with theSouth Africanapartheid occupation ofSouth-West Africa.[1]
Kamwanga was born on April 29, 1929, in the village ofShankara in theKavango Region. He completed teacher education atDöbra in 1951 and began training as Roman Catholic Catechist atBunya Catholic Mission in 1959.[1]
Soon after being crownedHompa of the Gciriku in 1985, Kamwanga drew criticism from his peer traditional leaders in the Kavango kingdom for referring to himself asNkuruhompa (paramountchief), implying that he was the prime leader of the Kavango and paramount over the other fourvaHompa. This turned out to be a misunderstanding because he was chairman of the Executive Council of Kavangoland at that time and as such indeed in a position of power, albeit in modern rather than traditional politics.[1]
Sebastian Kamwanga was a member of theDemocratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) but nevertheless friendly towardsSWAPO people and aims. In the mid-1980s his farmShamangomba was used asPeople's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) operational base for theirguerrilla actions in theNamibian struggle for independence against the South African army.[1]
He was a passionatepianist, performing at church services, and assisted with the Bible translation fromAfrikaans intoRumanyo, his native tongue. Seven children resulted from his marriage to Regina Nankali Mberema. Kamwanga died on January 22, 1999.[1]