BERSEBA - President Hage Geingob said chief Stephanus Goliath has departed to join illustrious chiefs and luminaries who have gone before him. His mortal body may be no more, but through his acts of kindness and humanity, he is immortalised, forever etched in the annals of history.

Goliath died at the age of 78 on 10 March after a long illness.

The President said he will always remember the late Goliath, deputy kaptein of the /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority, as a man who had the interest of his country, people and family at heart. 

This was how he hailed the deputy chief in a speech read on his behalf by vice president Nangolo Mbumba at the memorial service on Friday. The
deceased received a State funeral in the south-western Berseba village in the //Kharas region on Saturday. 

The Namibian Defence Force honoured Goliath with a 13-gun salute as his casket was lowered, and /Hai- /Khaua tribesmen formed a guard of honour on horseback in a touching tribute. President Geingob described the late deputy chief as a unifier and a vessel of peace who was focused on the needs of others, and exemplified the selfless
nature of a true patriot who was dedicated to something bigger than himself - the Namibian nation.

“He was a patriot and a hero who knew the responsibility of leadership and served with distinction,” the Head of State emphasised. 

Geingob said the nation has lost a solid rock and linchpin of societal architecture. “Deputy chief Goliath was a comrade, grandfather, father, uncle and visionary
leader. But most importantly, a caring, consistent and dependable source of wisdom to all of us who had the privilege to interact with him during his sojourn here on this earth,” he added.

The Head of State noted that Goliath’s footprint in political, community and religious circles is indelible.

“It is true that all the words in the world, no matter how skillfully or aptly delivered, cannot fill the void that has been left by the departure of this much-loved patriarch,’’ he continued.

Referring to the deputy chief’s contribution towards Namibia’s Independence, the President observed that after joining Swapo in 1974, Goliath served as the chairperson of the party in the south.  

“He played an instrumental role in persuading many leaders in the south to join Swapo, as it was the political organisation recognised as the sole representative of the people of Namibia by the United Nations,’’ added Geingob. He furthermore described Goliath as a leader who worked hard to make his dream of a Namibia where there are no boundaries and no divisions based on skin colour, tribe, religion or gender a reality.

‘’On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Namibia, I wish to extend our most profound sympathies and condolences to madame Elizabeth Goliath, the bereaved family and the /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority on the loss of our beloved chief Goliath,’’ Geingob stated.

In his message of condolences, Popular Democratic Movement president McHenry Venaani described deputy chief Goliath as a warrior, as has been clearly observed for the past weeks that the traditional community he served with distinction and the nation he helped birth came together in a massive outpouring of grief. 

“If the last few weeks of mourning have been very difficult for all of us, it must have felt an immense burden to those who had surrounded him in life, and who were lucky enough to be within his family and friendship circle,” he noted. 

The politician described the deputy chief as someone who carried the load when burden and purpose united, as he was the one walking that road with broad shoulders.  “Deputy chief Goliath was a remarkable leader, who dedicated his entire life to the betterment of his country and its people, without fear or favour,” Venaani emphasised. 

He said the leader was one who fought and demanded for the return of ancestral land which was forcibly taken from the Nama people by the German and South African colonial forces. “We lost our chief, but his legacy lives on whilst his death means we are deprived of an extraordinary leader who cared for others with great determination,” observed the opposition leader. Chief Goliath became a member of the Central Committee of Swapo shortly before independence. During the same period, he was selected to spearhead the elections in the //Kharas region. After Namibia attained its independence, he was elected as the councillor of the Berseba constituency, later becoming the first chairperson of the regional council and then governor of the //Kharas region, a position he held for 12 years.