The late Anton Lubowski was controversial, but celebrated as one of very few ‘white’ Namibians who were open about his support for human rights and the liberation of the country from apartheid and colonialism. He had also officially joined the SWAPO party.
Lubowski was assassinated on 12 September 1989, but his murder is still not solved, and the 18th anniversary of his death passed unnoticed last week.

He was shot by an alleged professional assassin when he arrived at his house. The gunman escaped in a car and, until this day, has never been identified in spite of enquiries and inquests.
Lubowski was born in Lüderitz on 3 February 1952, the second child to a German-speaking father and an Afrikaans-speaking mother. He was one of the few whites who broke racial and cultural barriers by literally laying his life on the line in support of what was largely a ‘black’ cause, namely freedom and independence.
Lubowski became involved with political movements that favoured an independent, democratic, and non-racial Namibia. As a SWAPO supporter, he was detained various times and at one time at the Oshire detention camp.
Wilfried Lubowski, his father, testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa on 24 April 1996 on his son's assassination.
He said, “Anton was shot and killed at approximately 20h30 on the 12th of September as he was about to enter his home at 7 Sanderburg Street, Windhoek, Namibia. There is no doubt that the death of Anton was a politically motivated assassination.”
He said his son established himself as a fighter in the Namibian liberation struggle and at great personal sacrifice fought fearlessly for that cause. Lubowski said his son addressed meetings and marched with demonstrators, and also represented SWAPO in 1984 at the Peace Summit in Lusaka and announced his membership of SWAPO encouraging other white people to follow his example.
He said Donald Acheson (an Irish national) was arrested in connection with the murder a day after the assassination. Lubowski said the prosecution could not produce any evidence and the charge of murder was consequently withdrawn against Acheson. He said there were allegations by a former Namibian policeman, Willem Rooinasie, concerning police involvement in Lubowski's assassination.
He said the allegations resulted in a renewed investigation by Namibian police and an eventual inquest into the death of Anton, which was conducted in the High Court of Namibia by Justice Harold Levy.