Albertina Nakale
Windhoek-As the nation mourns the sudden passing on of Kunene Regional Governor Angelika Muharukua (59), who died on Sunday of a suspected heart attack at her Hochland Part home in Windhoek, some of her fellow regional political leaders remember her as a person who loved her people and was determined to fight poverty.
Zambezi Regional Governor Lawrence Sampofu said Muharukua was determined to take development to the Kunene Region.
He said she was concerned about Kunene – particularly the poverty that is rife in drought-stricken region.
“We are really saddened by the death of our colleague, Angelika Muharukua, the Governor of the Kunene Region. She was a very good person. Even in our meetings as governors, she used to contribute a lot and she used to have a lot of opinions. She always stuck to her own opinion when we discussed a point. We have really lost a very vibrant colleague among the governors. We give our heartfelt condolences to the family, to the residents of Kunene and Namibia as a nation,” Sampofu said.
Kavango West Governor, Sirkka Ausiku described Muharukua as a great leader and a fighter in what she believed in.
She said the late governor inspired many women to believe in themselves.
“She was straightforward, a hard worker, a friend and mother to many of us. I learned a lot from her while she was my boss and as governor. We will miss her and may her soul rest in eternal peace,” she said in her moving tribute.
Kavango East Samuel Mbambo said the region is deeply saddened by the sudden departure of one of the influential political leaders of Namibia. “She was a person who loved her people and sacrificed her time and resources for them. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” said Mbambo.
Meanwhile, the Swapo Party Elder’s Council (SPEC) also paid tribute to the late Muharukua, saying the Swapo party and the entire country as a whole has lost a remarkable and truly Namibian freedom fighter.
The party elder’s council secretary, Mukwaita Shanyengana, said the sudden passing on Muharukua on Sunday morning came as a shock to the nation and indeed the Swapo Party Elder’s Council.
He said Muharukua has been an exemplary politician, who never compromised her revolutionary principles of serving her people diligently and to the best of her ability,” he said.
“She kept her promise through schedule 2 of the Namibian Constitution by swearing solemnly that she was going to be faithful to the Republic of Namibia. That she was going to hold her office, as a deputy minister, with honour and dignity; uphold, protect and defend the Constitution and faithfully obey, execute and administer the laws of the Republic of Namibia, serve the people of Namibia to the best of her ability. This is the legacy she leaves behind,” he said.
He described her as a dedicated exemplary “comrade”, who believed in the principle of ethical leadership as opposed to corrupt and tribal practices.
He added that she was blessed with the spirit of wisdom and the desire to inspire others.
Moreover, SPEC stated that she was a governor in one of the most difficult regions, but with her faith in Swapo Party and the Namibian Government, she made Kunene Region a place of everyone’s choice.
“Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God. (Jesus of Nazareth). May her soul rest in eternal peace,” the party condoled.
She served as governor since 2015, although she became known in political circles in 1995 when the then President
Sam Nujoma appointed her to the National Assembly.
According to Presidential Press Secretary, Albertus Aochamub who officially announced her death on Sunday, the late governor’s memorial and burial service arrangements would be announced as soon as they are finalis ed.