Pricilla Mukokobi
Otniel Hembapu
Lahja Nashuuta
For the past three weeks, thousands of Namibians from all corners of the country turned out in the pouring rain and blistering sun to pay final respects to Founding President Sam Nujoma, a man revered at home and on the continent as a liberator, anti-apartheid icon and nation-builder. And on Saturday, even after having braved the heavy rain storms and blazing heat during Friday’s memorial service in Nujoma’s honour at the Windhoek Independence Stadium, hundreds of patriotic Namibians waved the country’s flags and sang liberation struggle songs as they swarmed the Heroes Acre on the outskirts of Windhoek to lay the country’s first president to rest.
Nujoma, who died on 08 February aged 95, was on Saturday laid to rest at the Heroes’ Acre during a six-hour ceremony that was witnessed by scores of Namibians, foreign dignitaries and several heads of states.
At the Heroes Acre, the man whose life and times are synonymous with Namibia’s liberation struggle, attainment of independence and nation-building, was ushered to his final resting place by President Nangolo Mbumba, accompanied by chief of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) Air Marshal Martin Pinehas and various formations of the armed forces.
Before his casket was taken up the staircase for the official burial, Bishop emeritus Zephania Kameeta of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) opened proceedings with a powerful prayer and was followed by President Nangolo Mbumba, who delivered brief heartwarming remarks to those in attendance.
Mbumba, drawing inspiration from Chinese revolutionary Chairman Mao Zedong, said for Namibia to rise from the ruins of oppression to the great heights of the global stage, it needed someone with the qualities and determination of President Sam Nujoma.
Just like Mao Zedong, who understood early on that it would take a dual approach of diplomacy and an armed struggle for the People’s Republic of China to be birthed in 1949, Nujoma too deeply understood that diplomacy alone would not free Namibians from the yoke of apartheid, Mbumba said.
“President Nujoma understood that sometimes in life war can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun, it is necessary to take up the gun. His leadership came to the fore during the most difficult years of the struggle, and even after Namibia’s independence,” said Mbumba as he reflected on the indomitable feats of the country’s late founding president
Nujoma, an emotional Mbumba added, was ahead of his time, both in actions and political outlook, and when things were tough during the apartheid era under the brutal South African regime, he emerged as Namibia’s chosen man of the hour.
“Nujoma was the primary exemplar of the ideals of struggle and sacrifice. Although many heroes and heroines grace the annals of our history, Nujoma through his leadership of Swapo, is the first leader who spearheaded the mobilisation of Namibians from all ethnic groups, in a unified cause, to fight for total independence and won it. When all seemed lost, he showed us the way. When things seemed dark, he illuminated a path to victory. He was the immovable rock, the cornerstone of Namibia’s revolution and pursuit for development for each one of us. A man who stood tall in the eye of the storm. A man of principle who never compromised to the very end.”
Boldness
Nujoma’s boldness, Mbumba told mourners, transcended beyond mainstream ideas as he was able to spread the gospel of Namibia’s struggle for independence to all corners of the world, especially to like-minded countries like the Soviet Union, Cuba, China and many other African frontline states that supported Namibia’s cause.
“In exile, Nujoma effectively became both the tip of the spear and the magnet, which firmly established and held together Swapo as a nationalist broad-based revolutionary vanguard movement comprising of workers, students, religious leaders and the general population. Under him, Swapo waged an admirable and effective three-pronged struggle on the political, military and diplomatic fronts.
“On the military front, Nujoma’s sterling leadership as commander-in-chief of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), made it possible for PLAN to take part in the historic battle that resulted in the defeat of the apartheid South African forces at Cuito in Southern Angola, by the combined FAPLA, Cuban, and PLAN combatants. This opened the way for the implementation of UN Resolution 435 in 1989.”
Nation-builder
Even after independence, Nujoma continued to make sure that all Namibians were part and parcel of nation-building efforts and if and when needed, he made deliberate efforts to headhunt individuals with special skills and qualifications from various ethnic groups to join in the efforts to develop a new and independent Namibia.
Nujoma led Namibia’s liberation struggle as the leader of Swapo between 1960 and 1989, before becoming the country’s first president in 1990. Nujoma, who served as president until 2005, led Swapo from 1960 to 2007.
Also speaking at the same occasion, Vice President and president-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah asserted that the passing of President Sam Nujoma had left the party with a political and moral obligation to uphold unity, national cohesion, and the values he championed.
“We face a daunting task of ensuring that the ideals of freedom, solidarity, and justice remain alive. We must stay true to these principles and not betray what Comrade Founding President and his generation, who fought before him, achieved,” she cautioned.
As she prepares to be sworn in as Namibia’s first female president on 21 March, Nandi-Ndaitwah urged both the public and private sectors to develop clear strategies for achieving economic independence, aligning with the late President Nujoma’s vision.
“Swapo formulated and executed a three-pronged strategy: mass political mobilization at home, coordinated diplomatic campaigns abroad, and an intensification of the armed struggle. These strategies worked concurrently, leading to our ultimate freedom,” she said.
“Under Comrade President Nujoma, we stood united in our struggle for freedom. We rejoiced in our victories, particularly at the moment of independence. Even in difficult times, President Nujoma never despaired; instead, he inspired and motivated us to confront challenges with confidence and determination.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah chronicled Nujoma’s unwavering dedication to liberation, highlighting key milestones such as the launch of the armed struggle at Omugulugombashe on 26 August, 1966, and the signing of the ceasefire agreement with apartheid South Africa under the auspices of the United Nations in 1989.
Nandi-Ndaitwah reflected on Nujoma’s passing as the symbolic end of an era, noting that he was the last surviving leader present at the OAU’s formation, which later evolved into the African Union (AU).
“Comrade President Sam Nujoma belonged to a remarkable generation of brave Namibian compatriots David Merero, Hendrick Witbooi, Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, Nathaniel Maxuilili, Kaxumba ka Ndola, Mzee Simon Kaukungwa, Isak Shoome, and Brendan Simbwaye, among others who were outstanding heroes and heroines of Namibia’s liberation struggle against apartheid colonialism.”
She reaffirmed the need to carry forward Nujoma’s vision, ensuring that his legacy continues to inspire the pursuit of unity, economic emancipation, and national development.
At the burial site, Nujoma’s hard-wood casket, draped in the Namibian flag was simultaneously lowered into the ground of the mausoleum at the Heroes Acre along with a 21-gun salute and a fly-past by four fighter jets of the Namibian Air Force.
As the burial rites were being performed, hundreds of Namibians at the Heroes Acre open pavilions waved flags and continued singing the famous liberation struggle song “Sema owu li peni? Yelula’ epandela, Yelula’ epandela, ola Namibia”, which translates as “Sam, where are you? Raise the flag of Namibia. Raise the flag of Namibia, oh Namibia.”
It was not just a goodbye but a celebration of a life well-lived and one that defied odds and overcame unimaginable challenges to lead Namibians to freedom and self-determination.
Those who joined Nujoma’s widow Kovambo Nujoma, her children and other Namibians in laying the African anti-colonial icon to rest were former and current presidents led by South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Thabo Mbeki, Angola’s João Lourenço, Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, Botswana’s former president Ian Khama, and DRC’s former president Joseph Kabila.
Also in attendance were Lesotho’s prime minister Samuel Matekane and Tanzania’s vice president Philip Mpango, who all came to bid Nujoma a final farewell.
Photo: Heather Erdmann