Maggie Thomas

ONGWEDIVA – For many Namibians, Founding Father Sam Nujoma was more than just a political leader.

 He was a symbol of revolution, resilience and national pride.

However, for those Namibians who had the opportunity to study in Cuba during the liberation struggle, the connection was even deeper.

They remember Nujoma not just as the president but as a mentor, educator and father figure. 

These personal accounts offer a unique perspective on the man behind the iconic beard and the revolutionary rhetoric, revealing the impact he had on the lives of those who knew him beyond the political stage.

Speaking to Nampa on Friday, former students and teachers of Cuba said Nujoma’s influence extended beyond the realm of politics, shaping the lives and aspirations of generations of Namibians.

Angelina ‘Rex’ Angula (64) said she joined Swapo in November 1977. 

 In 1978, she joined the group which went to Cassinga Camp in Angola, where she met Nujoma when he went to visit the survivors, two days after the camp was attacked. 

He told them to move from Cassinga to another camp before they departed for Cuba to study.

“During our stay in Cuba from 1978 when we arrived, he visited us several times. He motivated and encouraged us to put our efforts into education,” she said.

Angula added that Nujoma encouraged them to venture into fields such as engineering and geology. 

 He would say that Namibia was a rich country with minerals that needed to be explored.

She stated that she will forever honour the founding father’s legacy because he made them who they are today.

Shau Christopher (66), who joined the liberation struggle in 1977 at Yamba Camp, only had the opportunity to meet Nujoma at their newly- established camp, which was then known as ‘Oshitemba’.

“In 1978, we were sent to Cuba for studies. The founding father used to visit us from time to time, encouraging us to study hard. As a commander-in- chief, he used to tell us that once we completed our studies and if the struggle was not over, we would have to rejoin others on the battlefield,” he said.

Christopher added that he knew the founding father as a man of his word, who loved peace.

“Once he shook your hand, you would not even want to wash your hand,” he recalled.

He said Nujoma taught them unity.

“Yes, he has passed on, but it is important to carry on with the peace and stability that he left us with,” Christopher stated.

He stressed that he wants the youth and generations to come to read about Nujoma’s history in achieving independence for Namibia.

Saima Shaanika (58), was sent to Cuba by Swapo in 1980.

“I joined the liberation struggle in 1980 in Lubango, Angola. From there, I went to Cuanza before I was sent to Cuba in 1982 for study purposes at Hosea Kutako, a second school which was established in Cuba,” she said.

She recalled how the founding father would always check on their safety, and enquire how they were coping.

“He was our mother and father. We looked up to him like our ‘Jesus’. He will always be remembered as a man of unity. He advised us to be united and love one another as brothers and sisters,” Shaanika added.

She said Nujoma believed in education, and would tell them that they were going to find and extract natural resources once Namibia gained independence.

She noted that Nujoma hated tribalism, and reminded them that their culture was their identity, encouraging them to maintain it.

“He was our hero, and I call him the father of the Namibian revolution,” she continued.

Mire Christof (54), who went into exile in 1988 at the age of 18, said that was the time when Namibians wanted freedom. There was a lot of chaos in the country. 

She said pupils were boycotting schools, and people fled to Angola in search of the founding father.

“We were told that he was in Angola, sending people to schools, so we went to search for him there so he could also send us to school,” Christof said.

She added: “We used to sing, saying that we wanted to see Nujoma to take us to school”.

Their journey to Angola passed through Odibo in the Ohangwena region until Luanda, where they first saw Nujoma during a parade.

“We finally saw Nujoma, and we believed that we were finally going to school again. Initially, we had different intentions. Some wanted to be offered training, receive guns, and go to the battlefield. Others wanted to go to school. It was unfortunate that we found the Tobias Hainyeko training camp fully-occupied. As a result, most of us were sent to school,” Christof said.

Some of the groups were sent to Zimbabwe, and she was among those sent to Cuba.

Christof said Nujoma used to encourage them to study hard, although it was at a time when people were returning from Angola to Namibia for elections. 

Nujoma advised them to remain in school until they were done with their studies.

“During the struggle, teaching and nursing were the only careers we knew, until he encouraged us to take up new courses,” she added.

The late Nujoma loved peace, kindness and unity, and everything today is because of him and the late Fidel Castro, Christof noted.

She said they were proud to have a leader who wanted the best for them – a man who brought the policy of national reconciliation to life, knowing that he wanted Namibians to forgive the oppressors as the struggle for independence had been successful.

-Nampa