Heroes’ remains interred

In his keynote address at the commemoration of Heroes’ Day, President Hage Geingob told a packed Heroes’ Acre that “tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”. The liberation struggle, he said, was a leap of faith made by the heroes and heroines who ensured Namibia’s liberty. This year’s commemoration was made all the more auspicious by the reburial of Swapo stalwarts Moses //Garoeb, Peter Mweshihange and Anton Lubowski at Heroes’ Acre. “War is never a good thing. We are neither warmongers nor people who glorify war. Our cause to fight was just. Independence was not handed to us on a silver platter; it was earned and the currency was blood,” Geingob said. “As Africans, we always give thanks. It is a constituent of our core values.” He paid tribute to Fidel Castro and the people of Cuba, along with Angola, Tanzania and Zambia, for their support during the liberation struggle. Zambian President Edgar Lungu attended the ceremony and President Geingob said, “Your Excellency, may you and your delegation feel at home in the land which you helped free.” He also extended his thanks to China and other former socialist countries for their support in aiding Swapo’s armed struggle. Lungu reiterated his country’s commitment to strengthening the friendship with Namibia and cooperation to the benefit of both peoples. “We resolved that in the absence of freedom and liberty in our neighbouring countries and beyond, the true value of Zambia’s own independence would be meaningless,” the Zambian president said. Zambia served as a PLAN base during the liberation struggle. During that period, a number of Namibians died in Zambia. In April last year, a mission was sent to Zambia to identify and exhume the remains of Swapo freedom fighters who were buried there. Some of the graves, said Lungu, were not identified and he affirmed his government’s support in efforts to ensure that those soldiers’ remains are returned to Namibia. WINDHOEK STAFF REPORTER