Namibia’s founding father, Sam Nujoma, has been described as “a giant among leaders,” with the country’s President, Nangolo Mbumba, emphasizing that he has left behind “the most precious gift of… freedom.”
Addressing a sizable audience at Heroes’ Acre, the final resting place of the nation’s most esteemed figures, he spoke just before Nujoma’s interment in a mausoleum.
Last month, Namibia mourned the loss of its prominent leader in the fight for independence from apartheid South Africa, who passed away at the age of 95.
Nujoma is regarded as the final representative of a generation of African leaders who spearheaded anti-colonial movements and championed the struggle for freedom.
“His departure marks the conclusion of an era, representing a founding father of Africa,” President Mbumba stated during a national memorial service on Friday.
“Today, we find ourselves in a dual state of mourning and celebration, honouring an extraordinary leader whose significant contributions to our nation’s independence will continue to inspire generations,” stated Namibian Given Shiyukifein in an interview with the Reuters news agency.
On Saturday, a military gun carriage transported Nujoma’s coffin, adorned with the Namibian flag, from the heart of Windhoek, where the body had been lying in state, to the burial site located on the city’s outskirts.
Mourners began to gather in the early hours, as the independent Namibian newspaper reported.
Participants waved flags and sang songs in his memory, including “Sam Ouli Peni?” (Sam, Where are you?), a popular anthem from the post-independence era 1990.
The gathering saw the attendance of the presidents from neighboring nations, including Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Nujoma, hailing from a peasant family and being one of ten siblings, was employed on the railway in the late 1940s when he began to receive a political education. He cultivated a deep interest in politics, driven by a desire to liberate his people from the oppression and humiliation of colonial rule.
He spearheaded the protracted struggle for liberation from South Africa, a nation then governed by white-minority rule. He was pivotal in establishing the liberation movement known as the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) during the 1960s.
Nujoma, the nation’s inaugural president for 15 years until 2005, is often recognized for fostering peace and stability. The policy of national reconciliation has fostered an environment in which the country’s white community has chosen to stay, continuing to play a significant role in agriculture and various other sectors of the economy.
He advocated for the rights of women and children, notably pushing for legislation that would require fathers to provide financial support for children born outside of marriage.
Namibia, previously called South West Africa, experienced German occupation from 1884 until 1915, which ended with Germany losing its colony during World War One.
The territory subsequently came under the control of white South Africa, which imposed its discriminatory laws on the region, effectively stripping black Namibians of political rights and imposing limitations on their social and economic freedoms.
The enactment of extensive apartheid laws triggered the onset of a guerrilla war for independence in 1966.
