Swapo will proceed with its 66th anniversary celebrations this Sunday while respecting a court order allowing ex-combatants to continue their months-long protest at the party's head office in Windhoek.

Information secretary Hilma Nicanor has confirmed that the occasion will go ahead.

"Yes, I can confirm that the 66th anniversary of the party is still on. Nothing has changed. The party respects the law, and we will abide by the court ruling, which was in their favour. Therefore, we cannot remove them," she said yesterday.

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Nicanor said the party's leadership will meet to determine the way forward in light of the court decision.

She said the repatriated refugees are exercising their rights and cannot be forcibly removed.

The anniversary is a historic milestone, marking the party's resilience since its founding on 19 April 1960, Nicanor said.

The group of war veterans has been camping at the party's head office since last October, demanding accountability over funds they claim were allocated to help exiled Namibians return home before independence.

An urgent application by Swapo to evict the group was struck off the roll of the Windhoek High Court last week, with judge Gabriel Komboni presiding over the matter.

The group's spokesperson, Matheus Nangolo, has maintained that they would not leave and that he expect more ex-combatants to join until their grievances are addressed.

Meanwhile, party president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, in her anniversary message, has congratulated members, veterans, supporters and sympathisers for sustaining the party over the decades.

"For six and a half decades, the Swapo Party has been a pillar of courage, solidarity and principled leadership, spearheading the struggle for independence and guiding efforts to build a just, prosperous and inclusive Namibia," she says.

She says continued support and commitment have enabled the party to remain relevant in the country's political landscape as the ruling party.