Daughters see father reburied 52 years after his death

Simon Petrus Niilenge’s three daughters were the only surviving members of his immediate family able to witness his homecoming 52 years after his death in South Africa and the reburial of his remains at Heroes’ Acre yesterday.

His wife and siblings had all died before his remains were returned to Namibia, leaving his three surviving children, Ruth, Albertina and Fransina, to welcome their father home. He died in exile in 1974, eight years after some members of his family had last seen him.

Niilenge’s remains were repatriated from South Africa alongside those of fellow liberation struggle veteran Festus Nehale last week, before the two were reburied at Heroes’ Acre on Monday.

Their return was part of a broader repatriation that also brought home 84 ancestral human remains kept at the Iziko Museums in South Africa.

Speaking on behalf of the Niilenge family, Fenni Kaapanda said the family was overwhelmed by emotion.

“The calendar tells us that it has been 52 years since Niilenge passed away in 1974. But the family memory tells a much longer story,” Kaapanda said.

“The last time he was seen by some members of our family was in 1966. Then, in 1974, came the devastating news that he had died.”

Kaapanda said the family’s clothing at the ceremony carried deep symbolism, with some relatives wearing military-style batik scarves associated with Niilenge’s struggle uniform, while others wore black and white, colours he wore during his lifetime.

“We cannot cry, because the distance of time has dried our tears. Yet we cannot simply smile either, because the price he paid in exile was far too heavy,” she said.

Never forgotten

Kaapanda recalled stories elders passed down about the former Robben Island prisoner Niilenge, saying his legacy remained deeply embedded in the family’s history.

“He was buried in soil that did not know him, far away from the warmth of his family and the land of his birth,” she said.

“Little did that grave know that Niilenge was only in transit.”

Over the decades, many of those who had hoped to see his remains repatriated did not live long enough to witness the moment.

“One by one, Niilenge’s siblings, his foster parents and other members of the family passed away. His wife also passed away in 2023,” Kaapanda said.

“They all carried the memory of that 1974 grave with them until their final days.”

His three daughters, however, lived to witness his return to Namibia.

“Niilenge may never have known whether his remains would one day return home. However, his three daughters, Ruth, Albertina and Fransina, have been spared to witness this historic homecoming,” she said.

Restoring dignity

Armas Nandjigua described the return of liberation veteran Festus Nehale as a moment of national restoration and remembrance.

“It is more than a family moment. It is a national moment. It is a moment of restoration, remembrance and reconciliation with history,” Nandjigua said.

Nehale, who was born in 1931 at Ona Inge, became involved in political mobilisation and later committed himself fully to the liberation struggle.

He was arrested around 1966 or 1967 at Omugulugwombashe and, according to the family, was sentenced on 19 February 1968 and sent to Robben Island Prison in South Africa.

“After so many years away from the land of his birth, Comrade Festus Nehale has returned home,” Nandjigua said.

“His return represents more than the movement of human remains. It represents the restoration of dignity, the honouring of sacrifices and the fulfilment of a national responsibility to remember those who sacrificed and gave everything they had for our freedom.”

Namibian heroes

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia had also welcomed home 84 ancestral human remains kept at the Iziko Museums in South Africa.

“These remains represent individuals whose identities were taken away and whose histories were disrupted during the colonial era," she said.

"As they remain part of our history, we now have to decide on the best way to handle and honour them. Subsequently, I want to inform the nation that the remains will be kept at the National Museum until we reach consensus on the way forward."

“On the same day, 21 August 2026, we also received the mortal remains of two heroes who served prison sentences at Robben Island, South Africa. They are among the six people whose remains we have brought home today to join others here at the Heroes’ Acre,” she said.

She added that these were heroes of the country’s liberation struggle.

“Therefore, today we are gathered here at the Heroes’ Acre for an occasion of profound national significance, a great act of remembrance, return and restoration. We have come together as a nation to receive, honour and lay to rest the sons of Namibia, whose lives became part of the price we paid for our freedom,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

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