Liberating Namibia was not easy - Shikulo

The community of Olundjinda in the Ogongo Constituency of the Omusati Region have continued their 25-year-old tradition of organising their own celebratory event on Independence Day, regardless of where the main event is taking place. While the main event was taking place in Windhoek on Saturday, the community of Olundjinda came together to listen to various speakers, who mainly spoke about how Namibians had to wage a protracted struggle against a powerful regime to regain their dignity as a nation and thanked the government for its achievements since 1990. Former PLAN combatant Max Sheya said the young generation needs to be informed about the bitterness of war and Namibians need to take a stand against war and declare “never again”. “Those of us who were involved in the armed liberation struggle have sacrificed a lot. Our war was not easy. We had to walk long distances carrying heavy loads, go without water and food and fight against a well-equipped enemy army. But we were determined to liberate Namibia and eventually succeeded. However, many of our comrades paid the ultimate sacrifice. People died for this country and there is no reason to hide that fact,” he said. He said those Namibians who remained at home also suffered, as they were brutalised without having a way of defending themselves. Sheya warned against tribalism, labelling it as a destabilising factor that leads to civil wars. Leonard Shikulo, Swapo’s district co-ordinator for Okahao who is himself a former PLAN combatant, was the keynote speaker. He said independence did not come on a silver platter. Recounting his own experiences, Shikulo said PLAN combatants faced a determined enemy who used all kinds of tactics. “Liberating this country was not easy. The enemy deployed everything at his disposal, such as ground troops, Casspirs, sniffer dogs and helicopters. The bodies of our dead comrades were displayed publicly, and our comrades who were captured in combat were turned into false guerrillas to create confusion. At one stage people could no longer distinguish between genuine and fake guerrillas,” he said. Shikulo said that, for the benefit of the younger generation, the people who participated in the liberation struggle need to start sharing their experiences instead of taking them to the grave. Former PLAN commander and now retired senior officer of the NDF, Otto Etuna Shiyagaya, also attended the event. Other speakers included local Swapo leaders Cecilia Neingo, David Iilende and Sam Nelumbu, while Aune Sheya read a poem about Namibia’s independence. OLUNDJINDA PLACIDO HILUKILWA