Nujoma’s lavish bash
Founding President Sam Nujoma turns 87 today and will mark his birthday party with a lavish ceremony this weekend, at his farm outside Otavi in the Otjozondjupa Region. More than 1 000 invited guests will gather at the Etunda Trust Farm, starting on Friday, ahead of the main festivities slated for Saturday, to celebrate the life of the one of the most revered and recognised statesmen in the country’s history.
Businessman Lazarus Jacobs, who is part of the organising committee, told Namibian Sun this week that many more people are expected to flock to the festivities, given the popularity of Namibia’s first democratically-elected president.
“Nujoma, as a people’s person will be more than happy to welcome them with open arms,” he said. Among those expected to attend are the first couple, President Hage Geingob and First Lady Monica Geingos, former president Hifikepunye Pohamba, high-ranking government officials, struggle veterans, businesspeople and Swapo members, among others. Nujoma has also personally invited youth leaders Elijah Ngurare, George Kambala, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and Job Amupanda, who were recently reinstated into the ruling party following a court ruling, which looked at their expulsion for their involvement in the Affirmative Repositioning activities.
Since 2012, Nujoma’s birthday parties were held under the 12 May Movement banner, which was founded by the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL).
However, this year’s event is being organised by the Sam Nujoma Foundation in conjunction with businesspeople, who have organised similar celebrations before.
Jacobs explained that the celebrations have been structured to include two events, opening this Friday with a storytelling occasion called Ohungi, followed by the official birthday celebration on Saturday.
“There will be lots of song and dance and trips down memory lane, to celebrate the life of this great man,” Jacobs said.
The theme of the two-day celebrations is based on ‘a day of rededication to service’, mirroring a similar theme, ‘a day of service’, which marked the 80th birthday celebrations of the founding president.
Jacobs explained that the theme reflects the commitment and dedication to service, which Nujoma has displayed throughout his life - to Namibians in particular and Africans in general.
“He insists every day that we must rededicate ourselves to be of service to others, hence the theme.”
In line with the theme, the first event, which will be centred around a big bonfire on Friday night, is a meeting that will allow attendees to share stories, praise poetry, dance and sing - in line with the ancient traditional storytelling ritual of Ohungi. This event is also an opportunity for guests to donate to two noble causes, namely for the completion of the Etunda Primary School and clinic, in addition to contributing to underprivileged students studying medicine in China.
Unifier
Meanwhile, Ngurare has paid tribute to Nujoma, saying the festivities in his honour will once again highlight his respected legacy.
“In my view, the legacy of Founding President Nujoma is a united people, striving for a common good, for all members of society to emerge victorious.”
He added that although Nujoma has been quiet in his retirement years, this was done “quite deliberately to ensure that he does not overshadow his successors”, while adding that to this day, Nujoma remains “the only unifying force in the country in 2016, as he was in 1990”.
“Every year added to his illustrious life must remind us that this should not only be celebrations for the sake of celebrations, but it must make us learn to appreciate the sacrifices he has made for Namibia, Africans and the world,” Ngurare said.
He, moreover, noted that the venue of the celebrations, Etunda Trust Farm, is an “oasis of humility”, in stark contrast to a number of African presidents who have “built mansions”.
“This is our founding father, a humble and principled human being,” he said.
Nujoma through the lens
Acclaimed South African photographer John Liebenberg, who worked as a press photojournalist during the 1980s in Namibia and Angola, this week shared with Namibian Sun a number of photos he took of Nujoma in Luanda, in June 1989, at Nujoma’s home.
Liebenberg said he was travelling as a freelance photographer for Reuters at the time and was invited by Swapo to document the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 435. It was the first time he met Nujoma.
“He was one of the great legends of that time. I never expected to meet him. He loomed larger than life and was 100 times more handsome and charismatic than in photographs I had seen of him before,” Liebenberg said this week. Liebenberg said when he met Nujoma his charisma was matched by his physique, which was “lean and healthy”.
In addition, Nujoma was relaxed and friendly and moved with ease in front of the cameras. Liebenberg told Namibian Sun that during the shoot, he remembers Nujoma did speak of his “deep longing to return to Namibia, to see his mother and to kiss the land of his birth”.
JANA-MARI SMITH & STAFF REPORTER
Businessman Lazarus Jacobs, who is part of the organising committee, told Namibian Sun this week that many more people are expected to flock to the festivities, given the popularity of Namibia’s first democratically-elected president.
“Nujoma, as a people’s person will be more than happy to welcome them with open arms,” he said. Among those expected to attend are the first couple, President Hage Geingob and First Lady Monica Geingos, former president Hifikepunye Pohamba, high-ranking government officials, struggle veterans, businesspeople and Swapo members, among others. Nujoma has also personally invited youth leaders Elijah Ngurare, George Kambala, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma and Job Amupanda, who were recently reinstated into the ruling party following a court ruling, which looked at their expulsion for their involvement in the Affirmative Repositioning activities.
Since 2012, Nujoma’s birthday parties were held under the 12 May Movement banner, which was founded by the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL).
However, this year’s event is being organised by the Sam Nujoma Foundation in conjunction with businesspeople, who have organised similar celebrations before.
Jacobs explained that the celebrations have been structured to include two events, opening this Friday with a storytelling occasion called Ohungi, followed by the official birthday celebration on Saturday.
“There will be lots of song and dance and trips down memory lane, to celebrate the life of this great man,” Jacobs said.
The theme of the two-day celebrations is based on ‘a day of rededication to service’, mirroring a similar theme, ‘a day of service’, which marked the 80th birthday celebrations of the founding president.
Jacobs explained that the theme reflects the commitment and dedication to service, which Nujoma has displayed throughout his life - to Namibians in particular and Africans in general.
“He insists every day that we must rededicate ourselves to be of service to others, hence the theme.”
In line with the theme, the first event, which will be centred around a big bonfire on Friday night, is a meeting that will allow attendees to share stories, praise poetry, dance and sing - in line with the ancient traditional storytelling ritual of Ohungi. This event is also an opportunity for guests to donate to two noble causes, namely for the completion of the Etunda Primary School and clinic, in addition to contributing to underprivileged students studying medicine in China.
Unifier
Meanwhile, Ngurare has paid tribute to Nujoma, saying the festivities in his honour will once again highlight his respected legacy.
“In my view, the legacy of Founding President Nujoma is a united people, striving for a common good, for all members of society to emerge victorious.”
He added that although Nujoma has been quiet in his retirement years, this was done “quite deliberately to ensure that he does not overshadow his successors”, while adding that to this day, Nujoma remains “the only unifying force in the country in 2016, as he was in 1990”.
“Every year added to his illustrious life must remind us that this should not only be celebrations for the sake of celebrations, but it must make us learn to appreciate the sacrifices he has made for Namibia, Africans and the world,” Ngurare said.
He, moreover, noted that the venue of the celebrations, Etunda Trust Farm, is an “oasis of humility”, in stark contrast to a number of African presidents who have “built mansions”.
“This is our founding father, a humble and principled human being,” he said.
Nujoma through the lens
Acclaimed South African photographer John Liebenberg, who worked as a press photojournalist during the 1980s in Namibia and Angola, this week shared with Namibian Sun a number of photos he took of Nujoma in Luanda, in June 1989, at Nujoma’s home.
Liebenberg said he was travelling as a freelance photographer for Reuters at the time and was invited by Swapo to document the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 435. It was the first time he met Nujoma.
“He was one of the great legends of that time. I never expected to meet him. He loomed larger than life and was 100 times more handsome and charismatic than in photographs I had seen of him before,” Liebenberg said this week. Liebenberg said when he met Nujoma his charisma was matched by his physique, which was “lean and healthy”.
In addition, Nujoma was relaxed and friendly and moved with ease in front of the cameras. Liebenberg told Namibian Sun that during the shoot, he remembers Nujoma did speak of his “deep longing to return to Namibia, to see his mother and to kiss the land of his birth”.
JANA-MARI SMITH & STAFF REPORTER
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