Ulenga, Nehova and Nambinga hail Nujoma

Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) founding members Kandy Nehova and Jeremia Nambinga, who both resigned from Swapo in 2007 amid a fallout with founding president Sam Nujoma, have hailed the late statesman as a true hero of Namibia’s struggle for independence.Nehova and Nambinga formed part of the mass exodus from Swapo ahead of the RDP formation in late 2007, following an emotive 2004 Swapo extraordinary congress, where Hidipo Hamutenya was defeated by Hifikepunye Pohamba.Hamutenya&#039;s supporters, including Nehova and Nambinga, did not take kindly to the role allegedly played by Nujoma at the congress to secure a victory for his preferred candidate, Pohamba.Days before the 2004 extraordinary congress, which was called to select a party candidate for that year&#039;s national presidential election, Nujoma fired Hamutenya as minister of foreign affairs. Hamutenya’s deputy at the time – and his supporter – Kaire Mbuende, was also fired.In 2007, Hamutenya led a mass exodus of his supporters from Swapo to form RDP ahead of the 2009 general election.A revered commanderYesterday, Nehova spoke glowingly of Nujoma, telling Namibian Sun the former president was a good commander and led the war of the liberation struggle with bravery.“We were successful because of him. I tell you now, we had a good commander. [He was] someone with courage and who was fearless. Together with him, we mobilised the Namibian people and garnered support from the international community to liberate our country,” he said.Nehova said as Namibians mourn Nujoma, they should also celebrate his life for the sacrifices he made for the country.“This country was liberated because of him. The boers were determined to stay on our land. But Nujoma was careful enough to kick them out of Namibia,” he said.Nehova, who was the first chairperson of the National Council from 1993 to 2004, said they are happy to have had a great commander in Nujoma – adding that they too will soon be gone.“We will eventually all go. One by one. We need to mobilise young people to continue the struggle for economic and social liberation. That is Nujoma’s legacy,” he underlined.‘Nujoma had a vision’Nambinga, whom Nujoma appointed twice as deputy minister, said the former president led Namibians to independence under very difficult conditions.He added that Nujoma had to strategise, direct and command the People&#039;s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) combatants on how to fight the enemy to ensure the country could gain independence.Nambinga said what stood out for him most was that after independence the nation was divided – some felt they were fighting for independence while others were viewed as puppets of the South African regime.“But Nujoma had a vision. It was not easy to unite the people, but he managed to convince all of us that we must unite for us to work together and build Namibia – endlessly preaching peace and stability,” Nambinga said.He recalled that there was a time when he had to work side by side with some of the individuals responsible for their arrest and torture.“But we had to sit at a table with them and come face to face because we were commanded to,” he remembered. Division sowed Nambinga added: “However as the saying goes, no one is perfect and Nujoma was certainly no exception. In 2004, during the electoral college of the Swapo party, Nujoma alleged that there were agents of imperialism within the party leadership.“He accused the late Hidipo and placed him first on the list [of alleged agents] and late Mose Tjitendero was second. He had a list of 35 people. Netumbo [Nandi-Ndaitwah] was also on that list.”Nambinga said this was unexpected, adding that Tjitendero must have died a bitter man – accused by the very man who was his commander, after the sacrifices for so many years in a difficult struggle, only to be labelled a traitor to the party. “It was beyond our expectations and comprehension as party members. That was the beginning of division in the Swapo Party,” he explained.A beacon of light Former Congress of Democrats (CoD) president and Robben Island political prisoner Ben Ulenga said the passing of Nujoma marks the end of an era. Ulenga quit Swapo in 1999 to form CoD in the wake of disagreements with Nujoma.Ulenga said Namibia&#039;s struggle for freedom, national independence, social equality, progress and human rights, was backed by a plethora of actors and a mighty army of fighters.“All contributed. All of them were dedicated, brave and determined. And yet I can say that all these people, all our trials and tribulations as we fought, our trust, our hope, our courage and our anxieties can all be bound up in a single name: Sam Nujoma,” he said.“When we concentrated on hope, triumph and victory, we looked up, and there was this one name encapsulating it all: this one beacon, one light, was Sam Nujoma."

Ulenga, Nehova and Nambinga hail Nujoma

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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Ulenga, Nehova and Nambinga hail Nujoma

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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