Lüderitz
Swapo veteran Simon Pius was laid to rest on Saturday morning at the Lüderitz cemetery in the //Karas Region.
Thousands of mourners thronged St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Lüderitz to pay their last respects to the Swapo veteran, skipper and one of the founders of the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU)
Pius died on the January 6 at the age of 69 in Windhoek Central Hospital after a short illness. During the memorial service held at Benguela Community Hall on Friday Lüderitz Mayor and Swapo Party district coordinator Helaria Mukapuli, described the late Pius as a man of principles and action, who held various portfolios in Swapo Party structures.
He was also branch coordinator of Swapo’s Jacob Marengo branch, a position he held until his untimely death.
!Nami#Nus Constituency Councilor Jan Scholtz,in his message from the Swapo veterans in Lüderitz indicated that Pius would be missed by the veterans of his branch, Jacob Morengo, by the members of the Swapo party and Lüderitz as a whole.
Pius grew up under colonial rule, at a time when indigenous Namibians were denied basic and fundamental human rights and freedoms. This predicament is what led him to join Swapo in 1972.
Veterans were reminded of his dedication to strengthening the Swapo Party, NAFAU, the Shebeen Association, the veterans and fishing industry in Lüderitz.
Pius had been a Swapo Party member for most of his life. Apart from his career in fishing, Pius was a man of many interests and played a leading role in community affairs, who always went the extra mile to help others.
Laysen Angula said Lüderitz has lost a true cadre and a friend to many. The wider community likewise lost a trustworthy and stern believer in justice for all. Swapo Party lost one of those diehard members, who believed in the aims of the party and the government, he said.
NAFAU Lüderitz branch organiser Absalom Willem, during his message of condolences, said the NAFAU leadership and members lost one of the founders of their union and a dedicated leader who was determined to advance trade unionism by becoming a NAFAU member and organiser in the 1980s. In 1988 Pius also played a major role in organising the fishermen at sea to join NAFAU.
During the memorial service held for him on Friday a local Afrikaans rap-musician and Namibia Annual Music Award award winner, Lee-Roy Pieters, also known as ‘Sman’, performed a song dedicated to the late Pius to the bereaved family. He performed the singlem entitled “Ons sal weer ontmoet”, in Afrikaans. It means “we shall meet again”, to the family of the late veteran. Pieters wrote the song to comfort the bereaved family.
New Era chief executive officer Dr Audrin Mathe and his family were amongst those who attended the funeral of late Simon Pius.