Iconic Mbulunganga hailed

Liberation struggle icon Mathias 'Mbulunganga' Ndakolo has been remembered as a fearless and dedicated son of the soil.He died last Tuesday in the Oshakati intermediate hospital. He was 75.Ndakolo was one of the pioneer commanders of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), who fought on the north-eastern front.Many remember him as a brave man who devoted his life to the attainment of Namibia's independence.The struggle icon was born at Iilagati, a village in the Ohangwena Region, and lived at the nearby village of Eenghango.Former chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), Lieutenant-General Martin Shalli (retired), described Ndakolo as a great commander, who possessed many of the qualities a good leader should have.Shalli referred to him as a “born leader”.“I have an emotional attachment to the late Ndakolo. To be honest he was a great man. He was everything; a born leader. He had huge natural intelligence, wisdom and foresight; you name it,” Shalli said. Ndakolo was the PLAN commander for the north-eastern front and Shalli worked under him for many years.Shalli said it was unfortunate that Ndakolo, after sacrificing so much, fell ill during the liberation struggle and was not employable after independence, because of his condition.Shalli encouraged Namibians to emulate Ndakolo's unwavering pan-Africanism.Swapo Party Elders Council (SPEC) secretary Mukwaita Shanyengana also paid tribute to Ndakolo.“He was operating on the Angolan side and I was on the Zambian side, but what I know, he was a brave commander who never hesitated,” Shanyengana said.He said Ndakolo was a fighter and no enemy wanted to cross his path.“He knew how to plan and manoeuvre around the enemy and defeat them,” Shanyengana said.Swapo Party School rector and the party's deputy secretary-general, Marco Hausiku, said he met Ndakolo after independence, but often went to him for advice.President Hage Geingob has accorded Ndakolo a state funeral. He will be laid to rest at the Eenhana Memorial Shrine in the Ohangwena Region on Saturday.In 2007 during a Heroes' Day commemoration, former president Hifikepunye Pohamba conferred on Ndakolo the honorary military rank of NDF colonel.KENYA KAMBOWE

Iconic Mbulunganga hailed

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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Iconic Mbulunganga hailed

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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