Albertina Nakale
Windhoek-The Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Maria Lohela who is in the country has expressed her deepest condolences to the Namibian people for the loss of former gender and home affairs minister Rosalia Nghidinwa, who died last week at the age of 65.
Lohela, who is in the country to interact with her counterpart, Namibian National Assembly Speaker Professor Peter Katjavivi, attended the late Nghidinwa’s state memorial service that was held in Windhoek on Wednesday afternoon.
Lohela expressed her deepest condolences when she paid a courtesy visit to President Hage Geingob at State House yesterday.
“It is with great sadness that you have lost your honourable Madam Rosalia Nghidinwa. We extend our condolences to you, her family and the whole nation. It was quite clear yesterday [Wednesday], when we had an opportunity to take part in her memorial service, to notice how many people she had touched during her lifetime. It was wonderful to see her children talk about love and what kind of role model she was. It was an important message,” she said.
The late former minister will be accorded another memorial service that will take place at the Nkurenkuru expo grounds in Kavango West.
Nghidinwa will be buried on Saturday at the Nkurenkuru ELCIN cemetery.
Lohela noted that Finland and Namibia share long historical deep relations.
Further, she emphasized that there is room for much deeper discussion in the areas of education, business, investment, tourism, gender-based violence and equality.
According to her, Namibia is a shining example to many countries in Africa as it has achieved a lot in a short time since its independence.
She promised to promote deeper collaboration between the two countries’ parliaments.
Geingob on his part said the two nations come a long way in terms of humanitarian, political, liberation struggle and church missions.
Further, he said, now that people have freedom they want economic emancipation.
“People don’t eat freedom. They want to get food, shelter, schools and infrastructure. That’s what they want because they got the freedom to get those things. That second phase of the struggle seems to be more complicated than anticipated,” he noted.
Geingob briefed her on the land issue, saying Namibia will soon host a land conference to discuss all aspects of land, including ancestral land.
Geingob told Lohela about the role he played in Zimbabwe which led to a smooth transition in that country for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take over high office, after President Robert Mugabe resigned late last year.
“What do we mean by ancestral land? We have to go back to that. The first conference we had on that issue, we couldn’t resolve it. Who can claim ancestral land?”
Meanwhile, Katjavivi who accompanied Lohela to State House applauded Geingob for helping find a peaceful solution to the Zimbabwe issue, saying it was a win-win situation.