Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698831959721.pdf (Namibia)
A Tribute to James Randolph Vigne By Hon Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly 1928-2016 We have learnt with great sadness, the passing on of Randolph Vigne, a dear personal friend and a friend of many of us in Namibia including the Founding President, H.E.

Dr. Sam Nujoma.

Randolph passed on over the weekend, at Canterbury Hospital in Kent.

Who was James Rando/ph Vigne and what his significance to Namibia and South Africa?
Vigne was born in 1928 in Kimberley and grew up in Port-Elizabeth.
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In 1963 he was arrested, detained and brought to trial under the emergency regulations of that year in the Transkei.

He was charged with holding an illegal meeting with the delegates of the Transkei Democratic Party.

That same year he was also banned under the Suppression of Communism Act.

When activities of the ARM were discovered by the Apartheid Regime, Randolph evaded arrest in 1964 and fled South Africa without a passport to Britain.

Shortly afterwards his family home was burnt down.


He spent 30 years in exile travelling to various countries in Africa, in and out of Britain and the United Nations campaigning against the apartheid government in South Africa and pushing for the liberation of South West Africa (Namibia).

Personally, I remember Randolph as a solid compassionate person, who gave himself for the cause of freedom and independence of both Namibia and South Africa.
Towards this end, he actively devoted his time to assist the struggle for the freedom and liberation of Namibia by working with Namibians particularly in the area of solidarity and public 3 of2 awareness in the United Kingdom.

He provided leadership for the {Friends of Namibia' Committee, which was later transformed into the {Namibia Support Committee' dedicating to promoting the support and solidarity for the liberation of Namibia.
This grouping attracted several persons including young men and women who promoted the cause for Namibia's self-determination.

I worked closely with Randolph during my time as the SWAPO Chief Representative of its UK and Western Europe Office in the late 1960s-70s.

We have lost a dear personal friend to some of us and a friend of the Namibian nation, who stood for what he believed in.

He was known to many Namibians particularly those who were based in Cape Town in the 1950s-60s.
One of these being the Hon.

Andimba Toivo Va Toivo, who even named one of Randolph's grandchildren, Hanganeni, which literally translates into {let us unite', in Oshiwambo.

On behalf of the National Assembly of the Republic of Namibia and on my own behalf and that of my family, I extend our sympathy and 4of2 VI a -., N s: l> -< ::I: - tn tn 0 C r- :::c m tn -f - 2 m -f m :::c 2 l> r- "'tJ m l> n m 0 -+.

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