KEETMANSHOOP – Tributes poured in yesterday for the late Keetmanshoop Urban constituency councillor Maxie Minnaar who died on Monday in a Windhoek hospital. She was 47. 

Both political and administrative leaders from the south hailed Minnaar as a passionate and hardworking person. Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi described Minnaar as a modern-day revolutionary and political tactician who was radical, but yet religious, humble and accommodative of others’ ideas within the party.  

Swartbooi remembered her as a strong person who represented women power and recalled how she sacrificed her time and own resources to campaign for the party across the country. 
“She even slept in a tent in a field for a week campaigning for the party. She was a friend – very accommodative – very politically driven,” added Swartbooi. 
“I will remember Maxie as a respectful, loving, hardworking and caring person,” said Landless People’s Movement (LPM) //Kharas leader, Ivan Jossob. 

He added that Minnaar dedicated most of her time for the community of Keetmanshoop. “I just recently handed out food parcels to vulnerable residents at the town that resulted from Maxie’s initiatives during her tenure in office getting these donations,” he said. 
Minnaar was elected constituency councillor in January this year following a by-election, which was necessitated by the resignation of Hilma Nicanor, who opted to contest for a parliamentary position. 
Keetmanshoop municipal council chairperson Gabriel Freyer said Minnaar was a committed, passionate woman who was actively involved in politics. 

“After the death of her son she became a highly religious person, very conscious about her purpose in life,” he said further. 
Ricky Vries, who represents the //Kharas region as Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) member of parliament, said he will always remember Minnaar as a go-getter who did not wait for things to happen. 
“At times I almost think she was more of a man than others for the perseverance and strong willpower she had in life,” he added.
//Kharas regional council chairperson Jan Scholtz said Minnaar always fought for what she wanted in life. “I came to know her as a chief clerk since my time as chairperson and to rise from there to a regional councillor is something the family she left behind should always be proud of,” he said. 

Scholtz added that it is very unfortunate that she could only fulfil this important duty in her life for such a short period. 
Beatus Kasete, the //Kharas chief regional officer, said he has only praises for a person he knew for a very short period who was so hardworking despite her poor health condition.  “I can attest without any doubt that Maxie was having big plans in future for the residents of her constituency, but it is very sad that she left us before carrying them out,” he added.
 Kasete also said he had an excellent working relationship with the late councillor.
– sklukowski@nepc.com.na