KATIMA MULILO – Former local and national leaders from the Zambezi region have described the late Swapo activist Thaddeus Sinvula Malumo as a hero for the crucial role he played during the fight for independence.
He passed away on 11 July 2023 in a Windhoek hospital after a long illness.
Former chairperson of the National Council and former Caprivi governor (now Zambezi region) Bernard Sibalatani stated that one cannot talk about the fight for independence in the Zambezi region without mentioning Malumo.
“Malumo is a genuine national leader. He was one of the pillars of Swapo in Katima Mulilo from 1975. I came to know Malumo in 1975, even though I knew him before, I say 1975 because that is when I knew him in terms of his contribution to the liberation struggle,” stated Sibalatani.
“It was that time when individuals who were ready to fight for the independence of the country were identified in the region and Malumo was one of those who were fighting for independence while being inside the country.”
Malumo is said to have been a Swapo activist who was selling membership cards, something which was forbidden at the time.
He would later serve as a deputy chairperson of the Swapo regional executive committee between 1980 and 1985. He later served as a regional treasurer from 1986 to 1989.
War veteran Charles Lutokwa Sampati, who worked with Malumo, described him as a man for the people who sacrificed his life to serve others.
“Malumo was a fearless person who was selling Swapo membership cards without being scared to be arrested. It is a big loss to lose someone like Malumo who was not very old like me. He is a hero who deserves a State funeral,” stated Sampati.
Former Kabbe constituency councillor Raphael Mbala remembered Malumo as someone who put other people’s needs first before his.
“He was one of the people who advocated for people who fought for independence while being inside the country to be appointed in important positions,” stated Mbala.
Malumo was born on 08 August 1954, at Nsundwa in the Kabbe South constituency in the Zambezi region.
Preparations for his burial are underway.
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