By Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
After handing over the Swapo Party presidency almost five months ago, Founding President Sam Nujoma last week handed over all the party documents to his successor President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
At a special occasion held in the capital, Nujoma handed over a number of boxes full of documents and files which consisted of correspondence and other relevant documents dating back to the days of the liberation struggle until November 30, 2007, when Nujoma stepped down.
Nujoma said it was with humility that he handed over the documents. He noted that other documents dating from 1960 to 1990 are stored at the Swapo Party Archives and Research Centre.
Nujoma urged young Namibians to continue to study and research the history of the Swapo Party, because the history of the party and that of Namibia are interwoven and therefore inseparable.
Receiving the documents, President Pohamba said the final process of the handover of the office of the Swapo Party by his predecessor is significant in many ways.
Pohamba said the process symbolizes and demonstrates a smooth and democratic transition of power, which has always been at the centre of the party’s values and character.
The party president said it also represents the glorious role that Swapo has played and continues to play in the history as well as the development of the country.
“The documents that are being handed over today chronicle the historic events, some memorable and some tragic, which have shaped the path that the Namibian people have walked on the road to nationhood.”
Pohamba however acknowledged that given the difficult conditions of the liberation struggle, the records cannot possibly be complete.
He noted that other important documents can be found in the National Archives, libraries, documentation centres and even private collections of politicians, academics, journalists and private citizens.
Pohamba said all these important documents must be found and the records must be preserved for posterity. They must be protected so that future generations can read about the bravery, heroism and patriotism of the people that fought for liberation.
The President called on individuals or institutions that deal with documents of national and historic importance to coordinate their efforts to ensure that the history is not lost.
“I strongly believe that resources should be mobilized to ensure that our historical records are properly preserved.”
He said with new technology, many of the historical records and documents can be sorted and stored in digital format. This makes retrieval easy.
Pohamba again paid tribute to Dr Nujoma and said the Founding President throughout the years has provided clear vision, strategy and motivation that inspired all Namibian freedom fighters, inside and outside the country to join hands for the achievement of freedom.
“You provided a steady hand at the helm of our ship even when the waters were stormy and difficult to navigate,” he said.
The occasion, which took place at the Swapo Party headquarters, was attended by party members.