In 1955, the SWASB became a political party in its own right in 1955, when its members renamed it the South West African Progressive Association (SWAPA) and appointed Uatja Kaukuetu as its first chairman.
In 1955, the SWASB became a separate political entity that same year when its members rechristened it the South West African Progressive Association (SWAPA) and selected Uatja Kaukuetu as its first leader.