A legacy of service

OGONE TLHAGE AND KENYA KAMBOWE Former Vice-President Dr Nickey Iyambo has been described as a humble, dedicated freedom fighter, following the news of his passing yesterday. Iyambo was due to celebrate his 83rd birthday today. He was the first person to be appointed to the position of vice-president following the third constitutional amendments made in 2014. He diligently oversaw the work of the veterans’ affairs ministry, among other tasks assigned to him by President Hage Geingob. He retired as vice-president in February 2018 due to poor health.He was also the country’s first health minister after independence.Geingob described the late Iyambo as a loyal freedom fighter.“Dr Iyambo leaves behind a rich legacy of loyal service to the Namibian people. The nation has lost a freedom fighter and a leader with deep humane values. Condolences to his wife and family,” he said.Retired politician Nahas Angula said Iyambo served the nation well. “The late Dr Iyambo was a veteran of the liberation struggle. He joined the struggle as far back as the early 1960s and he started as a doctor in Finland. He returned to the struggle to serve the combatants. He was based at Lubango, taking care of the wounded; so he did his contribution and we should appreciate that,” Angula said.Businessman Leake Hangala described Iyambo as humble and dedicated. “In Dr Nickey Iyambo I lost a longstanding friend, comrade and confidante. Dr Iyambo was the humblest, dedicated and [most] reliable person I knew. He served his party, Swapo, and the country with dedication in all those many assignments given to him,” Leake said.National Council chairperson Margaret Mensah-Williams remembered the late Iyambo as a remarkable human being. She also expressed her condolences to his wife and family.“He was a true statesman, a revolutionary and a remarkable human being. My condolences go out to his bereaved wife, family and friends,” she said.Political scientist Henning Melber described Iyambo as a gentle giant. “I will remember comrade Nickey not as a politician but as the soft and gentle human being he has been,” he said.Iyambo was born on 20 May 1936 at Onayena in the Oshikoto Region. He joined the liberation struggle in 1960 and left for exile in 1964. He served the liberation movement in different capacities, including as Swapo representative to the Nordic countries from 1966 to 1971. Iyambo attained a master’s degree in political science from the University of Helsinki, as well as a medical degree from the same institution. Iyambo also served as Swapo’s head of military medical services, according to Graham Hopwood’s Guide to Namibian Politics.In 1990 he was handed the country’s health portfolio. At the health ministry he was responsible for getting HIV/Aids awareness programmes off the ground and for setting up the national primary healthcare system. He had chaired Swapo’s Aids committee in exile from 1986 to 1989.He swapped places with Libertine Amathila in September 1996, as part of President Sam Nujoma’s rotation system for cabinet ministers. At the local government ministry he oversaw the development of the government’s decentralisation policy, but was moved to mines and energy in 2002.In 2005 he became the second oldest member of President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s first cabinet when he was appointed as agriculture minister. In 2010, Pohamba gave him the task of being Namibia's first minister of veteran affairs. As a result of constitutional changes in 2014, a new post of vice-president was created. Iyambo became the first person to fulfil the role when Geingob appointed him in March 2015.

A legacy of service

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

Please login to leave a comment

A legacy of service

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

Please login to leave a comment

Login