By Abayomi Azikiwe
Sam Nujoma, the founding president of the Republic of Namibia and longtime leader of the South-West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), died in his home country on February 9. He was given a state funeral on March 1 in the capital of Windhoek where thousands attended along with dignitaries and guests from other African states.
Nujoma was 95 years-old at the time of his transition after a decades-long career of working on behalf of the oppressed African people of Namibia. The country had been initially colonized by Germany during the late 19th century and was the scene of a genocidal war between 1904-1907 when an estimated 60-80 percent of the African people died as a result of massacres along with mass interments in concentration camps.
After the defeat of Germany in World War I, the so-called Union of South Africa took control of the mineral-rich colony and controlled the territory up until the time of independence on March 21, 1990. Over the last 35 years Namibia has remained committed to the principles of Pan-Africanism and anti-imperialism.
The Republic of Namibia’s soon to be leader, President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was the first woman head-of-state chosen during late 2024 when an election was held after the death of former incumbent President Hage Geingob. President-elect Nandi-Naditwah won the national elections with 58% of the popular vote.
Namibia has a population of 3.1 million and is rich in natural resources such as diamonds, uranium, copper, magnesium, zinc, silver, gold, lead, semi-precious stones and industrial minerals. A major source of its national revenue is derived from diamond mining. By 2014, Namibia was the fourth-largest exporter of non-fuel minerals on the African continent.
In addition, Walvis Bay, a deep-water harbor, represents a major asset for its national wealth in a country which is largely arid and represents one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Walvis Bay is the second largest municipality in Namibia located on the Atlantic coast of the country. This area has been recognized for its significance since the late 15th century by the European colonial power of Portugal.
Today Walvis Bay is an important area for trade as well as international tourism. The harbor and its mineral wealth have helped to ensure a stable democratic system of governance inside the country. Although unemployment and poverty remain relatively high, in comparison to other African states, Namibia serves as a role model for progressive governance and regional engagement.
During the course of its independence trajectory, Namibia has been an important player in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which held its inaugural meeting in Windhoek in August 1992. When the United States backed a military invasion of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by Rwanda and Uganda, Namibia under President Nujoma along with the soldiers from Zimbabwe and Angola, came to the assistance of the government of Laurent Kabila beginning in August 1998.
By 2003, the war was ended through a negotiated agreement which called for the withdrawal of Ugandan and Rwandan troops. Eventually the DRC was brought into SADC though even today, the eastern regions of North and South Kivu are still being destabilized by the Rwandan-backed rebel group known as M23.
The SADC peacekeeping forces are deployed to the eastern DRC alongside its United Nations counterpart. A recent flare-up in the fighting has resulted in the fall of the capital cities of North and South Kivu to M23.
At present neighboring Angolan President Joao Lourenco has agreed to make another attempt to negotiate a truce between M23 and the DRC government of President Felix Tshisekedi. Angola’s ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has maintained close ties with SWAPO since the 1970s when the former Portuguese colony played a pivotal role along with the Republic of Cuba in creating the conditions which brought about the independence of Namibia and the Republic of South Africa.
State Funeral Attracts Heads of States and Thousands of Namibians
The death of founding President Nujoma was marked by numerous messages of condolences from throughout the SADC region, the African Union (AU) and the world. Nujoma’s role as the leader of SWAPO during the struggle for national liberation made him an international icon.
In the immediate aftermath of the death of Nujoma, the Namibian Office of the Presidency said:
“Our Founding Father lived a long and consequential life during which he exceptionally served the people of his beloved country. Our Founding Father heroically marshalled the Namibian people during the darkest hours of our liberation struggle until the attainment of freedom and independence on the 21st of March 1990. As Founding President, His Excellency, Dr. Sam Nujoma provided maximum leadership to our nation and spared no effort to motivate each and every Namibian to build a country that would stand tall and proud among the nations of the world. In that vein, our venerable leader, Dr. Nujoma did not only blaze the trail to freedom – but he also inspired us to rise to our feet and to become masters of this vast land of our ancestors.”
The current interim-President Nangolo Mbumba said during the state funeral of Nujoma that:
“Today, we are laying to rest one of Namibia’s illustrious sons, a man who fought for justice and the liberation of his country. He dedicated his life to improving the lives of many Namibians. It is a great loss to our nation.”
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a statement on the death of Nujoma where he recognized the pioneering role of the founding president. The former racist South African apartheid regime’s occupation of Namibia was ruled to be a violation of international law by the United Nations in 1966. This decision resulted in the establishment of the UN Council for Namibia which provided assistance to the people in their struggle for independence between 1967-1990.
The UN Secretary General said in regard to the death of Nujoma that:
“An architect of Namibia’s liberation struggle and recognized as its founding father, Dr. Nujoma led the nation’s transition to independence in 1990, when he was elected as the country’s first President. The United Nations stood alongside Dr. Nujoma and all Namibians, as the world witnessed the raising of the flag of the newly free and sovereign nation on 21 March of that year. As President, Dr. Nujoma demonstrated steadfast leadership in the face of immense challenges, leaving an indelible mark on his country, Africa and the world.”
Other condolences were sent to the Republic of Namibia from the neighboring Republic of South Africa, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China and the AU. These messages are an outcome of Nujoma’s internationalism stemming from alliances with various nation-states throughout the globe.
The Republic of South Africa Parliament in their statement noted:
“Dr. Nujoma was the founding father and first President of democratic Namibia. He was a revolutionary leader who dedicated his life to liberating the people of Namibia from a colonial and oppressive regime. After Namibia attained independence and freedom on 21 March 1990, he served as the country’s first democratically elected President for 15 years. Today, we bow our heads in honor of a gallant son of Africa, the founding father of democratic Namibia, and one of the last of a generation of African liberation leaders who guided our countries out of colonialism and apartheid,’ the Presiding Officers said. ‘He joins our fallen African struggle heroes, such as former President Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, and Mozambique’s Samora Machel. A giant tree has indeed fallen.’”
In the mid-1960s, former SWAPO leader and later Secretary General Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, recruited and sent several cadres to the People’s Republic of China for military training setting the stage for the growth of the formidable People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the armed wing of the liberation movement. SWAPO waged an armed struggle against the apartheid regime between 1966-1989. The socialist states of the former Soviet Union, the Republic of Cuba and China remained staunch allies of SWAPO as it waged a war for national liberation.
The Chinese government in their message of condolences emphasized:
“Xi Jinping noted that former President Sam Nujoma was a statesman and revolutionary of the older generation in Africa who made historic contributions in leading the Namibian people in their pursuit and realization of national independence and liberation, as well as in the efforts to explore a development path suited to the country’s conditions. During his lifetime, he remained firmly committed to friendship with China and actively promoted traditional China-Namibia friendship and China-Africa friendship and cooperation. His passing is a tremendous loss for the people of Namibia, and the Chinese people have also lost an old and dear friend. The Chinese government and people deeply cherish the traditional friendship between China and Namibia. Xi Jinping expressed the belief that with the joint efforts of both sides, China and Namibia will achieve even greater progress in the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.”
President Sam Nujoma represented the revolutionary response to colonialism, imperialism and apartheid during the late 20th century. His contribution to the struggle for national liberation and Pan-Africanism should be studied by all those seeking genuine freedom and social emancipation.
Author’s Note: This writer conducted field research in Namibia during the 1990s and was able to meet President Sam Nujoma during his early years as the head-of-state of the country.
Be the first to comment