Oshana unhappy as Nujoma memorial is shifted to Ohangwena
Irimari urged for calm
Oshana business owners and the general public are unhappy that the memorial parade originally planned for their region has been shifted to Ohangwena.
Some residents of the Oshana Region have expressed displeasure over the government's decision to remove their region from the list of places where memorial proceedings for the late Founding President Sam Nujoma’s casket will take place.
Originally, Oshana was set to host one of the regional memorial services in honour of the late statesman, who passed away on February 8 at the age of 95. However, on Monday evening, Information and Communication Technology Minister Emma Teofelus announced that the event will now take place in Eenhana, Ohangwena Region.
National events are seen as opportunities for local businesses to thrive, which is said to be one of the reasons why stakeholders in Oshana are fuming over the venue change. The northern regions are home to many of Nujoma’s supporters, making this decision particularly contentious.
Some sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that former army generals and senior political players influenced the decision to move the memorial service to Ohangwena. It is also speculated that the move ensures that the region, home to incoming head of state Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, hosts a memorial event for one of her predecessors.
“Why change the venue for the memorial service? They could have just kept it to themselves and made one announcement. It now sounds like a tribal decision, and that is wrong,” one source argued. “If you look at Eenhana, they do not have sufficient accommodation to cater for the thousands of people who want to honour the late president.”
The statement issued by Teofelus did not directly address the change in location but explained the selection criteria for the host towns.
“The selection of towns was carefully considered, taking into account the vastness of our beautiful country, the limited time remaining until the burial, as well as logistical arrangements and the availability of infrastructure,” Teofelus stated. “The goal is to ensure that as many Namibians as possible have the opportunity to bid a befitting farewell to our late national hero.”
Calls for calm
Oshana Governor Elia Irimari called upon those who are disgruntled to remain calm and respect the decision made. He urged the public to refrain from tribal and regionalist rhetoric, emphasizing that the body of the late founding president will arrive at Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport before being paraded through the region en route to Etunda village, Nujoma’s birthplace.
“I urge people to respect the decision that has been made. In Eenhana, there is a national shrine, and it would be fitting for the event to be held at one of his projects. As a region, we were prepared to host the event, but changes were made, and we have accepted it. We will have our own memorial service in honour of the founding father, with the date to be announced,” Irimari explained.
Originally, Oshana was set to host one of the regional memorial services in honour of the late statesman, who passed away on February 8 at the age of 95. However, on Monday evening, Information and Communication Technology Minister Emma Teofelus announced that the event will now take place in Eenhana, Ohangwena Region.
National events are seen as opportunities for local businesses to thrive, which is said to be one of the reasons why stakeholders in Oshana are fuming over the venue change. The northern regions are home to many of Nujoma’s supporters, making this decision particularly contentious.
Some sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that former army generals and senior political players influenced the decision to move the memorial service to Ohangwena. It is also speculated that the move ensures that the region, home to incoming head of state Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, hosts a memorial event for one of her predecessors.
“Why change the venue for the memorial service? They could have just kept it to themselves and made one announcement. It now sounds like a tribal decision, and that is wrong,” one source argued. “If you look at Eenhana, they do not have sufficient accommodation to cater for the thousands of people who want to honour the late president.”
The statement issued by Teofelus did not directly address the change in location but explained the selection criteria for the host towns.
“The selection of towns was carefully considered, taking into account the vastness of our beautiful country, the limited time remaining until the burial, as well as logistical arrangements and the availability of infrastructure,” Teofelus stated. “The goal is to ensure that as many Namibians as possible have the opportunity to bid a befitting farewell to our late national hero.”
Calls for calm
Oshana Governor Elia Irimari called upon those who are disgruntled to remain calm and respect the decision made. He urged the public to refrain from tribal and regionalist rhetoric, emphasizing that the body of the late founding president will arrive at Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport before being paraded through the region en route to Etunda village, Nujoma’s birthplace.
“I urge people to respect the decision that has been made. In Eenhana, there is a national shrine, and it would be fitting for the event to be held at one of his projects. As a region, we were prepared to host the event, but changes were made, and we have accepted it. We will have our own memorial service in honour of the founding father, with the date to be announced,” Irimari explained.
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