Peya Mushelenga

The eagle has vanished from the sky, a man of vision and wisdom has left us. The sun has set, and the moonlight has disappeared. A dark cloud has fallen upon Namibia, and the hour of sorrow has arrived. A moment of sadness has struck, and a period of grieving has ensued. Death has robbed us of a distinguished citizen of our republic, a pathfinder who defined our destiny. Heaven took away our towering figurehead, who exuded leadership with a degree of excellence. We have lost the grand commander of our nationhood, who cultivated the field for us to grow fruits of freedom, peace and unity. Our nation is mourning, reminiscing about the past with him. Our society is crying, agonising about the future without him. His legacy will be preserved because golden letters do not fade away.

The liberation struggle was not a joyride experience in an excursion train, or a sightseeing flight on autopilot mode. The dynamics and exigencies of warfare required a frontrunner who exemplifies resoluteness and tenacity. It took an indomitable torchbearer in the person of Sam Nujoma to pull through whirlwinds. Behold! I am mindful of the fact that all was not rosy and rhapsodic. Admittedly, the struggle was long, bitter and had its intricacies, including rock and hard-place scenarios. But soul-searching would reckon that the positive outweighs the negative. Amidst the challenges of leading people in taxing foreign climes, Comrade Sam Nujoma withstood complexities, and marshalled the Namibian people to self-determination. The narratives about his credentials will continue to be told because golden letters do not fade away.

Our extraordinary ruler built a shelter for us to live in. He prepared a table for us to have a bountiful feast. Now, the cornerstone of our house has shattered. Our fort has collapsed into ruins. He was the source of the water that quenched our thirst. Gosh! Our fountain has dried up. Our candle has melted, and our inkpot has spilled. Our continent has lost a great pan-Africanist, a son of the soil from humble beginnings at Okahao, northern Namibia, who rose to a great name of international fame. The Namibian nation is weeping and lamenting. The Nujoma clan is heartbroken. The grandchildren are sobbing and wailing. Tears are rolling down for an icon. Watery eyes, welling up for a legend. What a loss too painful to accept! What a sorrow too heavy to contain! He will continue to be missed for years because golden letters do not fade away.

Comrade President, 

You were an axe that cut down palisade trees. Three successive Heads of State and Government of the colonial South African regime left you unshaken. You were a thorn in the flesh of Hendrik Verwoed. You gave John Vorster sleepless nights. Not to be forgotten is PW Botha, who became paralysed when you sent his puppies home, running and whining with their tails between their legs from the Battle of Quito Quanavale. 

You were a God-given gift to Namibia, a country which you led with distinction. You have left a mark in SADC as a decisive President and a power to reckon with. You were known throughout the African continent as a steadfast freedom fighter and unwavering revolutionary. The international community respected you as a world-class Head of State and revered international statesman. 

You electrified my spirit whenever we interacted. It was a great blessing to have you around. Oh yes! Yours was an enrapturing presence that brought reassurance and a mesmerising aura. You rose to the occasion, and did not mince your words when the occasion demanded. At international fora, you took leaders of great nations head-on when they were found wanting. You were the epitome of perseverance and an embodiment of persistence. You will be immortalised by history books because golden letters do not fade away.

Comrade President,

Given your advanced age, we knew that your homegoing was inevitable. But, still, your departure remains a bitter pill to swallow. We are dangling in a pool of anxiety, consumed in thoughts that cannot be described in words. We are overwhelmed by apprehension and disarmed in our optimism. Your absence has left emptiness in our midst. We are rolling in the sand, fuddled in the valley of dust. We are engulfed by grief, thrown into a pond of distress. You will remain stuck in our memories and engraved in our hearts because golden letters do not fade away.  

Mr Chancellor, Sir, Your foresight brought into existence the University of Namibia, my alma mater. Immediately after independence, you appointed the Commission on Higher Education, which recommended, among others, the establishment of this centre of knowledge. As the Founding Chancellor, you oversaw the growth of a new institution of higher learning into a prestigious academic powerhouse. 

This university is the bedrock of our country’s development. Many captains of industry in Namibia were shaped, moulded and nurtured in its lecture halls and laboratories. History will lionise you for your endeavours, because golden letters do not fade away.

Mr Chancellor, Sir.

You encouraged young Namibians to acquire tertiary education, emphasising the importance of the field of science. Yours was not just a showmanship by a spectator outside the playing field. You walked the talk, embarking upon the academic journey, culminating in a successful completion of the degree of Master of Science (MSc) in Geology at the age of 80. 

I applaud your efforts to drive thousands of young Namibians into scholarly hallways and scientific corridors. I commend your passion for education, and admire your quest for knowledge. Your accomplishments will always be remembered by future generations, because golden letters do not fade away.

Rest in power, Commander-in-Chief of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). Safe journey, Chairman of the Military Council. Go well, President of SWAPO Party. Take our final salute, Commander-in-Chief of the Namibian Defence Forces (NDF). Fare thee well, President of the Republic of Namibia. Cross the rivers, seasoned politician. 

Fly high, Chancellor of the University of Namibia. Rest in peace, professional geologist. Godspeed, descendant of the Aakwambahu and Aakwanangombe clans. May the angels receive you, member of the Okahao Lutheran parish. Till we meet again, man of the people. You are gone but not forgotten, because golden letters do not fade away. 

– Peya Mushelenga is the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.