WINDHOEK – Pomp and splendour was the order of the day at the Independence Stadium on Saturday when hundreds gathered to celebrate the 90th birthday of liberation icon Andimba Toivo ya Toivo.
At the event President Hifikepunye Pohamba said more often than not, societies fail to praise their outstanding sons and daughters during their lifetime, only doing so posthumously once they have passed on.
“I would like to say this: Comrade Toivo ya Toivo is an extraordinary man, a dedicated patriot, and international and progressive thinker,” Pohamba told the audience who included local and international dignitaries.
Pohamba reassured Ya Toivo that the nation recognises his mammoth contribution to the struggle for Namibia’s liberation, as well as “your sterling and significant role in the socio-economic development of our country following the attainment of independence. I am here this morning to say that as a nation, we deeply appreciate you, and are inspired by your exceptional qualities of bravery, tenacity and leadership at a crucial time of the formation of our national liberation movement.”.
He added: “As a result of his foresight and ability to understand social and political issues, he became one of the pioneer freedom fighters who spearheaded Namibia’s modern resistance against colonial oppression and the exploitation of our workers.
“On this special occasion of your 90th birthday celebration, we rejoice with you, your entire family and indeed the entire Namibian nation.”
“Words are not sufficient to describe the sense of joy in our hearts and on our faces, as we share with you this special and indeed, rare occasion. Not many people have been as fortunate or as blessed with longevity, good health and soundness of mind,” Pohamba said.
Prominent South African human rights lawyer George Bizos who vigorously campaigned against apartheid in South Africa compared Ya Toivo to the likes of another giant Nelson Mandela.
He said it is because of the likes of Ya Toivo that many Southern African countries gained independence from the colonialists.
Speaker after speaker described Ya Toivo as a stubborn and ethical freedom fighter and a towering figure in the liberation struggle of Namibia and its people who were colonised by the apartheid regime.
Ya Toivo was arrested in 1966 by the South African colonial authorities and during his trial in August 1967, Ya Toivo made a monumental speech which was widely publicised at the time and the years thereafter.
“We are Namibians, and not South Africans. We do not now, and will not in the future, recognise your right to govern us; to make laws for us, in which we had no say; to treat our country as if it was your property and us as if you are our masters. We have always regarded South Africa as an intruder in our country. This is how we have always felt and this is how we feel now and it is on this basis that we have faced this trial,” he was quoted as having said at the time.
On 26 January 1968, he was sentenced by a Pretoria court to 20 years’ imprisonment. He was incarcerated on Robben Island, Cape Town, where he spent most of his time isolated from his fellow countrymen.
Among the foreign delegates who attended was the former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings, Russian MP Dr Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Tetekin, Angola’s Governor of Huambo Province Kundi Paihama, and most notably even one of the former Robben Island prison wardens and friends from as far afield as Finland.
Ndilimani Cultural Troupe, colourful traditional dance groups and many other local artists entertained the gathering.
After Namibia gained independence in 1990, Ya Toivo served as a cabinet minister in various portfolios (Mines and Energy; Labour; and then Prisons) until his retirement from active public service in 2006.
– Additional reporting by Nampa