WINDHOEK – President Hifikepunye Pohamba said there are still many Namibian heroes and heroines who lie buried in unmarked graves in the countries where they fought and died during the liberation struggle.
The Head of State said this at the memorial service held at Parliament Gardens on Monday afternoon in honour of the seven freedom fighters, who were reburied at Heroes’ Acre yesterday.
“We recognise that this is a major challenge because many of our compatriots are buried in unmarked graves in Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania and elsewhere,” said Pohamba.
He added that the situation is even more difficult regarding combatants who were buried just about anywhere during combat, because it is very difficult to trace their graves.
The Head of State therefore called on Namibians to continue to honour those compatriots by serving the country and its people with dedication to improve on the quality of public service delivery and to ensure that all Namibians live in safety and security.
Pohamba explained that although these heroes did not live to witness the dawn of independence, they indeed paved the way for the freedom, peace and independence which Namibians enjoy currently.
“Let us re-dedicate ourselves to the principles of unity and let us do away with tribalism and ethnicity that have the potential to destroy our development,” he stressed.
Also speaking at the same memorial service, Angola’s Minister of Defence Joao Manuel-Goncalves announced that the Angolan Government is ready to build a memorial site in Angola where many Namibian heroes and heroines died.
The memorial site for Namibians who fought in Angola is expected to further strengthen the relationship between Namibia and Angola.
“The blood they shed was not in vain. They have contributed by paying the highest price for the peace which Namibia enjoys today,” he said.
He said history shows that Angola was on the right track to support Namibia in the liberation struggle, because now Angola can look proudly upon a free Namibia – a country which is neighbourly and which serves as a shining example for many countries in the world.
The memorial service was held for the seven heroes/heroines of the struggle whose remains were exhumed and repatriated from Angola and Zambia for reburial at Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek during the commemoration of Heroes’ Day yesterday.
Their reburial served to honour their bravery, steadfastness, sacrifice and dedication to the liberation of Namibia.
The remains are those of Peter ‘Ndilimani’ Nanyemba, Walde Homateni Timoteus Kaluenya, Isak ‘Pondo’ Shikongo, Natalia Ndahambelela Shikangala Mavulu, Augustus ‘McNamara’ Nghaamwa, Putuse Appolus and Lineekela Kalenga.
– Nampa