“When you have failed, although the default is to feel like a failure, encourage yourself to rise above your circumstance and keep your goal in view.”
This was said by Vendjihonga Katjaimo, a candidate legal practitioner at Uanivi Gaes Inc.
Born and raised in Windhoek, she started her education journey at Okaukuejo primary school situated in the Etosha National Game Park before returning to Windhoek to start Grade 3 at Gammams Primary School.
“As my mother was deciding which high school I should attend, my grandfather advised that I attend Gobabis Gymnasium Private School.”
It was during her time at Gobabis Gymnasium that she made up her mind to pursue a career in law.
“After many discussions with a school friend, we decided to open up a law firm once we were done studying and save the world,” she enthused.
However, upon completing Grade 12, instead of registering for law, she ended up in the science faculty, enrolled for geo-chemistry.
“Honestly, that was just me following my friends and abandoning my dream. By the end of the first month in science, I knew I had made a mistake and decided to finish the year and apply for the law degree at the end of the year and I was accepted,” Katjaimo said.
She further said she was awarded a sports scholarship in her final year of LLB and also got an opportunity to do her master’s at the University of the Western Cape.
Katjaimo added that she completed her Master’s specialising in Mercantile Law while honouring her commitment to the university is netball team.
Unorthodx
Katjaimo describes her career path as unorthodox.
She did not start in the legal field as many expected, as she applied to be a full-time missionary at Campus Crusade for Christ and serve university athletes for a period before starting her legal career.
“I served for two years at Campus Crusade and started my legal career by registering for justice training last year and began applying at law firms for attachment and at companies. I ended up at the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia as a legal intern for a year and continued to apply to law firms as my objective was to first be admitted before launching into the corporate space. At the end of my contract at the regulator, I got an offer from Uanivi Gaes Incorporated,” Katjaimo said.
Reflecting, Katjaimo knew from a young age that she would become a lawyer, as justice has been one of her core values since a young age.
For her, it was either becoming a lawyer or a detective. With the benefit of hindsight, she said: “I thought being detective would make a boring career in Namibia and therefore set my mind on law.” Furthermore, Katjaimo has heard candidate legal practitioners talk about their bad experiences with some magistrates and prosecutors.
Some have been chased out of court or frowned upon for saying the wrong things.
However, this has not been the case, at least, for her.
“My appearances in court so far have been gracious. I have not had my sentences well-structured and have almost walked out of court without being excused; even then, I have received grace. This has given me so much confidence and has kept me humbled because I am learning. Of course, some prosecutors would want you to work for them, but Flora Gaes has said ‘we work for our clients and not the prosecutors’. This has kept me firm in ensuring that I serve our clients’ best interests. It has just been a month, and I am sure the stories are to be told about tough presiding officers,” she stated elaborately.
Advice
The youthful lawyer then extended some advice to those aspiring to enter the legal field.
“Most times we feel pressured, whether internal or external, to pursue something we might not really desire. There are many platforms now to engage when you are not sure which career path to follow; invest time to do so. I wasted a year in science and have also failed, but that did not deter me from my goal. Finally, reading is not a cliché in this profession; you must read to know your work; this is something Vetu Uanivi is always emphasising,” she said.
Katjaimo had a point to buttress: “Further, you need to love justice, because it brings joy to the oppressed when true justice is administered.”