Namibia · Paid public holiday

Cassinga Day

A public holiday remembering the Cassinga attack of May 4, 1978. This guide explains the date, background, legal status and customary observance of Cassinga Day in Namibia.

Date in 2026Monday, May 4, 2026
Holiday statusPaid public holiday

When is Cassinga Day?

In 2026, Cassinga Day falls on Monday, May 4, 2026. It is classified here as a paid public holiday.

History of Cassinga Day

Cassinga Day remembers the South African Defence Force's airborne and air attack on Cassinga in southern Angola on 4 May 1978 during Operation Reindeer. Several hundred people were killed, including Namibian refugees and civilians as well as SWAPO/PLAN personnel; Cuban forces advancing from nearby also suffered casualties. The UN Security Council condemned the invasion of Angola in Resolution 428.

Accounts dispute how to characterise the settlement's military and civilian functions, and casualty totals remain contested. Those disputes do not erase the presence and deaths of women and children, but they require the guide to avoid presenting either a wholly undefended refugee camp or only a conventional military base as uncontested fact. Survivors' testimony, SWAPO archives, South African operational records and scholarship all form part of the history.

The day is a nationwide public holiday under the Public Holidays Act or, for Genocide Remembrance Day, a presidential proclamation made under section 1(3). Section 1(2) adds Monday only when a public holiday falls on Sunday—not Saturday—and only if Monday is not already a public holiday. Employees working during a closure should check the Labour Act, applicable wage order and contract rather than assuming the calendar alone fixes compensation.

How Cassinga Day is observed

Nationwide on Monday, May 4 in 2026. The principal programme commonly includes wreath-laying and remembrance involving veterans, survivors and families at Heroes' Acre or another announced venue; it is solemn commemoration, not celebration of warfare.

Traditions of Cassinga Day

  • Heroes' Acre memorial

    National leaders, veterans and families lay wreaths and hold remembrance at Heroes' Acre or the announced host venue.

  • Names and survivor memory

    Testimony and educational programmes centre civilians, children, PLAN members, medical workers and others caught in the 1978 raid.

  • Contested history taught carefully

    Museums, archives and media compare evidence about Cassinga as both a SWAPO base and a settlement with many refugees, avoiding slogans that erase civilian deaths or the war context.

Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Namibia official holiday calendar or legislation. Government, regional, school and employer schedules in Namibia may differ; check the linked official source and current local notices before making time-sensitive plans.

History sources: Ministry of Information and Communication Technology: Public Holidays and Observance Days 2026, Namibia Public Holidays Act, 1990 (Act 26 of 1990), University of Namibia Archives: Cassinga records, UN Security Council Resolution 428 (1978), UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage lists.

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