On Sunday, 14 July 2024, a strong voice and personality were silenced forever as Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, the former minister of education, took her final breath in a Windhoek hospital after a long battle with colon cancer. 

Loved and loathed in almost equal measure, Hanse-Himarwa will be buried in her hometown of Mariental tomorrow. 

President Nangolo Mbumba conferred the status of an official funeral on her. In death, she has revived discussions around who is and who is not deserving of State honour and funeral.  But one thing is clear: Those who knew and worked closely with Hanse-Himarwa, both in politics and public service, agree that she has left an indelible mark as, like a boxer, she left it all in the ring.  “As education minister, Hanse-Himarwa was at the forefront of eliminating ghost teachers, and ensuring that the money the government was losing through that scheme went to those who were doing the work.  Teachers noticed an improvement in their lives under her leadership of the ministry. I recall how she empowered under-qualified teachers through deliberate government interventions when there was a serious shortage of qualified teachers. Today, the picture is different. “In our Swapo politics, she would listen attentively throughout, but once she made her intervention or input, you could see the whole house came to a standstill because

she provided leadership,” higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi told NBC’s Omurari FM’s popular talk show Keetute yesterday. 

Dear wife 

Hanse-Himarwa is survived by her husband, four children and four grandchildren. 

This week, New Era sat down with Ghenno Himarwa, Katrina’s husband. 

“We prayed that God would prepare and send the angels to come and take her soul. At 05h15 in the morning, she took her last breath,” Himarwa said as he narrated his wife’s final days, while also recalling her last moments. Hanse-Himarwa also leaves behind her elderly parents, Josephat and Aletha Hanse, who are both in their eighties.

The Hanses are well-known for being among the first Christians to bring the Pentecostal gospel to Namibia.

 Cancer

“When the doctor informed us that she had been diagnosed with cancer, all of us were shocked. However, that was the only day my wife was worried. 

Two years after that, she was declared ‘clean’ and cleared of cancer,” Himarwa said.

However, Hanse-Himarwa’s life changed for the worse when she was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago. He said the comfort which came with the doctor’s clearance made them neglect check-ups, which may have caused the cancer to go undetected this time around.  

“Then the cancer came back. My wife was frustrated because she had to return to the doctor for treatment again. This is where the trouble started,” he added. Himarwa had to stop performing some of his duties on the farm to pay attention to his wife. In the meantime, the family prepared for the worst, and made her last days count. “As a family, we made peace with it,” he said.

But then she looked better, and the family was hopeful again. The hopes were, however, dashed when in May this year, she developed a cough which turned into pneumonia, prompting doctors to prescribe more medication.

“One day, she was well. The following day, she was not; that was the cycle. I think she was not willing to put up another fight again”.

On Sunday 14 July, around 03h00, the family received a call from the Roman Catholic Hospital that her vitals were going down. They knew it was time for their ‘goodbyes’.

“She was not that responsive, but she could hear what we were saying to her. Tears were coming out of her eyes, and we would wipe them off. In her last words, she said she was tired of the many medications she had to take.”

 Humble beginnings

Himarwa said his wife came from humble beginnings. 

“There were times when food would run out in the house, and there would only be water. Her mother would take a cup of water during school breaks and pray over it, saying: ‘My Lord, bless this water so my child feels as if she has eaten and can go back to school’. She grew up in a Christian home, where the only thing she knew was going to church. That is where she learnt to be a prayer warrior.”

 Character

He described his wife as a fighter — gentle, outspoken and without any pretensions. “Mutti had a wellspring of good cheer and no self-pity. Most of all, she had found peace, as we all seek to do”.

Hanse-Himarwa had a strong personality. When she walked into a room, you would feel her presence. People called her the ‘blue-eyed girl of God.’ She respected people, and was highly regarded in her personal life.

She was fashionable, always dressing impeccably. Those who did not know her might say she was difficult, but she was an easy-going person.

Himarwa said his wife had formed an unregistered foundation from which she would take care of vulnerable children around the country, including donating shoes to schools. 

“She would take in children who did not have that advantage. Sometimes, she would take in four or five children; our house was always full of children. During school holidays, we would load two buckets and take them to the farm, taking care of them until school started again. They would cry, knowing they had to go back to their other life,” Himarwa said. “I pray that Almighty God be merciful to her, and comfort their love and comfort us all. I will miss her a lot,” he continued.

 Career

Himarwa described his wife as an intellectual and quick learner who obtained a teacher’s diploma and then a four-year education degree, which she completed in two years.

Hanse-Himarwa was appointed as governor of the Hardap region in 2004, a position she held until 2015. President Hage Geingob then appointed her Minister of Education, Arts and Culture on 21 March 2015.

In July 2019, she was found guilty of corruption and lying under oath, which is believed to have tainted her political career. 

Her husband said in her last months, Hanse-Himarwa spent most of her time sitting on a red sofa in the living room, watching South African politics and unfolding developments.

“That made her well-versed in SA politics; she knew all the politicians in South Africa. She would analyse and predict some issues that would unfold in the country,” he said.