Omuramba – Ombara Hikuminue Kapika (92) of the Ombuku Traditional Authority has a sharp memory, despite his ripe old age. He easily recalls a lot of detail on his interaction with Founding President Sam Nujoma, who died on 8 February.
Kapika, a key figure of Namibian politics in the early 90s, had several encounters with Nujoma. He had nothing but wonderful memories when the New Era crew visited his homestead at Omuramba village in the Epupa constituency, some 150 kilometres from Kunene’s regional capital Opuwo.
From the onset, he indicated that it would be his wish to see off Nujoma and attend his burial in two weeks’ time.
However, due to ill-health, he will not be attending.
“I am weak and sickly these days. I don’t have anything in my hands to contribute towards the funeral, or to comfort the family. I am completely weak,” Kapika said.
Asked if he can attend Nujoma’s funeral if transport was made available, he retorted, “If transport is made available, I will send my children. When I say I am weak, I mean I am sick. I am unable to travel.”
Reminiscing about their fond encounters, Kapika said his relationship with Nujoma was apolitical and centred around the upward trajectory of Ovahimba in general, and Namibians in particular.
Politics, he recalled, was never on the table.
Although the two leaders found themselves in different political homes for the better part of their lives – Nujoma (Swapo) and Kapika (DTA, now Popular Democratic Movement) – not once did Nujoma ever request Kapika to join the ruling party in return for favours, a view held by many in the region.
“I had several encounters with him over the years, and we discussed the Baynes HydroPower Project. During one of the meetings, Nujoma was accompanied by two people, and I had one. I asked him: ‘Nujoma, and he said yes. Between the government and politics, which is more important?’ He said, ‘the government’. I said politics is insignificant. It doesn’t work. If you know that the government is more important, do you see the paintings on the rocks at Epupa Falls? Our ancestors painted a male goat, a cow and a foot. And if you know these are the important things that our ancestors bequeathed us, then don’t close Epupa,” Kapika recalled.
He continued: “Don’t close (develop) Epupa so that my children and those after can also survive from it. It should not be closed so that whoever has not seen it can also come and view it. It belongs to the government and God. That’s when we agreed with my fellow elder, Nujoma, at Epupa. He then said to me, ‘Kapika, I am going to Ongandjera.
I will not continue pursuing the construction of Epupa. Keep your Epupa’. He left for Ongandjera. I remained here.”
Kapika’s position has always been that the dam would submerge Epupa Falls and the surrounding valley. Grazing fields and river foliage, such as palm nuts – prized as food during drought – would disappear, along with ancestral Himba graves.
Dam
The Baynes Hydropower Project is situated on the Kunene River, 200km downstream of Ruacana in the Kunene’s Epupa constituency.
It emanates from initial feasibility studies conducted on the Epupa and Baynes sites downstream of Ruacana between 1995 and 1998.
The governments of Namibia and Angola intend to build a hydropower station and a dam at Orokawe or Baynes on the Kunene River, which forms the borderline between Angola and Namibia.
A group of traditional leaders under the leadership of Mutaambanda Kapika, Hikuminue’s brother, have opposed the construction of the hydropower scheme.