Dr Peya Mushelenga
Nom de guerre: Haihambo Wokevale
Renowned philosopher Thomas Hobbes once said the praises of ancient authors proceed not from the reverence of the dead, but from the mutual envy of the living.
Living people like Bishop Kleopas Dumeni are enviable, and should be praised while they are alive.
I first saw bishop Dumeni on 21 September 1983 at the Oshigambo Lutheran Parish Church, where he came to bury my grandfather, and thereafter saw him at various church gatherings. I grew to like and admire his captivating charisma as a preacher who moves the souls and minds of listeners; not to mention his singing talent that electrifies the chemistry in the congregation. By then, little did I know the other side of the man of the cloth. While his contribution to the liberation struggle is a matter of public record, there is, however, more than what is known in the public domain, which I bring forth hereunder.
The grey-haired episcopus from Onawa was an incisive underground strategist and intelligence operative under the nom de querre (combat name) “Haihambo wokEvale”. The underground unit in which he served comprised three persons: Bishop Kleopas Dumeni as Haihambo wokEvale, because he lived in northern Namibia, which is geographically close to Evale in Angola. Bishop James Kauluma as “Haihambo wokoshilando”, because he lived in Windhoek, and oshilando refers to a city. Swapo chief representative to Britain, Shapua Kaukungwa, as “Haihambo wokokaumbo”. Okaumbo refers to a house headed by a woman, and Margaret Thatcher was British Prime Minister at that time.
Haihambo wokEvale gathered intelligence information about plans and activities of the notorious South African Defence Force (SADF) and South West African Territory Force (SWATF) against the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (Plan), the military wing of Namibia’s liberation movement, the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo). Whenever Haihambo wokEvale picked up information about an impending attack on Plan in Angola, he would immediately call his colleague in Windhoek saying “O Haihambo wokEvale ta dhenge. Lombwela Haihambo wokokaumbo kutya kohambo naku yi we oshoka iimuna oyi li pokuya moshiponga”, translated as “This is Haihambo from Evale calling. Tell Haihambo from okaumbo that there is a need to go to the cattle post as the livestock faces danger”. Bishop Kauluma will relay the message to Kaukungwa. The no-nonsense Swapo diplomat from Ohalushu will further pass on the message to Luanda, Angola, for onward transmission to the defence headquarters at Lubango.
At times, when he travelled to meet the leadership of Swapo in exile, Haihambo wokEvale would be temporarily elevated to the position of member of the Central Committee of Swapo, in order to facilitate smooth entries and exits at the airports in solidarity countries.
Because of his involvement in the liberation struggle, the colonial forces resolved to eliminate Haihambo wokEvale. A team of assassins was assembled and dispatched to carry out the cowardly act. The devil is a liar! This became an ill-fated mission. God the omnipotent intervened, as written in Psalm 105:15 “Do not touch my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm”. The assassins got cold feet, and left the holy grounds of the bishop’s court with their tails between their legs.
Haihambo woKevale has further played a great role in the reception of Namibians from exile. Following the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 of 1978, a question arose regarding who would receive returning Namibians. Ordinarily, the government of the day would bear the responsibility. However, Swapo did not trust the colonial government to receive its members back to their motherland. In that year, Martti Ahtisaari, the Finnish diplomat who was then serving as the UN Commissioner for Namibia, was appointed in July 1978 as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to oversee Namibia’s transition to independence. He visited Namibia in August 1978, where he held discussions with the indomitable bishop Leonard Auala of the Evangelical Lutheran Owambo-Kavango Church (ELOC), now the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), and his assistant, reverend Kleopas Dumeni. Ahtisaari asked if the church could receive returning Namibians. Bishop Auala and Rev Dumeni could not discuss the issue in the presence of South African officials. Olle Eriksson, a Finnish missionary who was stationed at Oniipa, made arrangements to go into a sauna with Ahtisaari, Bishop Auala and reverend Dumeni, knowing very well that an apartheid South African government’s official would not share such facilities with blacks. In the sauna, the four men discussed the issue of repatriation, and the church agreed to receive returning Namibians.
By the time UN Security Council Resolution 435/78 was implemented 11 years later, in 1989, Haihambo wokEvale was at the helm of the church, and recalled the undertaking made by his church in 1978 regarding the repatriation of Namibians.
Already in 1988, Haihambo wokEvale, together with Haihambo wokoshilando and bishop Bonifatius Hausiku of the Roman Catholic Church held discussions with the Swapo leadership to map out the repatriation plan. They presented the idea at the Council of Churches of Namibia (CCN)’s annual general meeting held at Ongwediva in 1988. Thereafter, preparations started culminating in the establishment of the CCN’s Repatriation, Resettlement and Reconstruction (RRR) unit.
Haihambo wokEvale further brought the matter before the Elcin Church Council, which endorsed the undertaking and identified church facilities at Engela, Okahao and Ongwediva to become reception centres for returnees. The rest is history.
What is in a name? Kleopas is a Greek name meaning vision of glory. Glory to those who have distinguished themselves by making heroic and selfless contributions to the cause of Namibia’s independence - Haihambo wokEvale is one of them. Hafeni is an Oshiwambo name meaning rejoice. Today, we rejoice in the fruits of the independence that he laboured and was prepared to lay down his life for. Oh, yes! He is a rare breed of a fearless freedom fighter, minder of the oppressed, and venerated shepherd of the flock.
As we celebrate Heroes’ Day tomorrow, we say: Long live bishop Kleopas Dumeni! Long live Haihambo wokEvale!
* Dr Peya Mushelenga is the Minister of Information and Communication Technology.