The Okahandja Lineament is considered to represent the southern margin of a magmatic arc produced by the northerly subduction of the Damran Ocean between 750 and 520 Ma ago. Sediments of the Orogen and granitoid intrusives produced by subduction and crustal melting, underwent shear deformation between 675 and 575 Ma in a low angle zone of sinistral sense shear. The Okahandja Lineament represents a zone of differential movement between the Central and Southern Zones of the Orogen during this simple shear deformation. Both overriding and overriden plates were deformed at about 550 and 520 Ma. Production of open S.E. verging structures on the northern plate was accompanied by more intense thrust and fold nappe production on the southern margin of the Damaran Orogen. During this last deformation event, the Central magmatic Zone was downfolded under the southern zone. This fold is the present expression of the Okahandja Lineament. Two tectonic models are proposed for the structures identified within the Central and Southern Zones of the Orogen, combined with evidence from the northern coastal arm of the Orogen.