The legacy of Tjama Tjivikua

We cannot ignore - nor erase - the legacy of Professor Tjama Tjivikua. Even if we, author included, tried to forget his legacy, people like president Mokgweetsi Masisi of the Republic of Botswana would be quick to remind us, like he did at the recently-concluded Swakopmund International Trade Expo (SWAITEX).At the first graduation ceremony he presided over, Dr Leake Hangala, another son with a legacy, reminded those in attendance that celebrating the impressive rise of the university on a hill is synonymous with remembering Tjivikua.Daunting taskA child of a nurse and a teacher, Tjivikua was born on 27 July 1958 in Otjomupanda in the Otjozondjupa Region, and grew up in Oruua, Ovitoto. He started primary school at St Barnabas School in Windhoek’s Old Location and attended Windhoek’s Augustineum. He then left Namibia in June 1979 to study chemistry in the United States at Rockland Community College and the Lincoln University, from which he graduated cum laude. He completed an MSc at the University of Lowell and a PhD at the University of Pittsburgh and the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After working as an assistant professor of chemistry at Lincoln University from 1990 to 1995, he returned to Namibia, after a personal invitation from the founding president Sam Nujoma and the father of Namibian education, Nahas Angula, to take up the daunting task of setting up a technikon university in the country. He was appointed the founding rector of the Polytechnic of Namibia. In 2015, Tjivikua’s leadership helped transform the Polytechnic of Namibia into the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), and he became its founding vice-chancellor, a position he held until March 2019. This change reflected his vision for higher education in the country.He faced challenges, including resistance to the transformation from various sectors of society. He addressed these concerns by emphasising the importance of adapting to modern educational demands and ensuring that the institution's offerings remained relevant. His ability to navigate these challenges while maintaining a clear vision for the university's future was crucial in overcoming scepticism and fostering acceptance of the new direction. Tjivikua's contributions have been recognised both nationally and internationally, earning him several accolades.Love for excellenceI was introduced to Tjivikua in 2017 when I joined NUST. At the time and given my age, I thought I had escaped my primary school Afrikaans teacher, the late Meester Abraham Jacobus Strauss, and my legal principal Wolf Wohlers’ 10 rules of punctuation marks and the effect of a red pen, until I met Tjivikua - the pedant and political savvy. At the time of my joining, I thought I was back at the University of Stellenbosch. Many Namibians in taxis, on the streets and in villages are quick to remind you about Tjivikua, with their spontaneous response of ‘oh the Polytech of Tjivikua’ response, emphasising his visibility to the students and all. Whatever the subjective belief of what he did, real or perceived, his love for excellence is beyond reproach. Though a very difficult leader to please, he would never depart from rules or the principles of management. Tjivikua will not pursue an idea or action unless its feasibility has been studied. If he encounters too many storms and obstacles to his actions and ideas of reaching the planet Mars, he will change track and reach the moon in style. Human life is by nature too short to be fixed. Functional fixedness has prevented many leaders from reaching their full potential. Tjivikua taught us that one cannot succeed alone, nor run a national institution with individuals blind to the cosmopolitan set-up of our society or its foundational moral fabric and courage. To be the best leader, you need to select the best from amongst the republic.Constantly pursue greatnessAt the robing ceremony of the current NUST vice-chancellor Dr Erold Naomab in 2021, the author mooted an idea of naming the library after Tjivikua, an idea which was accepted by all present. Hopefully before his sunset - moons away - this will become a reality.Tjivikua has been an advocate for behavioural change among young people in Namibia. He has always called for students to adopt positive behaviour that contributes to their personal development and societal progress. He highlights the need for self-improvement and community engagement, and aims to inspire the youth to take an active role in shaping their future and that of their country as humans were created not to be perfect, but to pursue perfection. Nor are we created great, but to constantly pursue greatness. At the time of his departure from NUST, after serving only one term as the vice-chancellor, he left a saving of N$220 million, money which the then acting vice-chancellor Morne du Toit, on our advice, utilised towards the completion of Tjivikua’s project, the now towering HTTPS Plaza.Additionally, he planted and watered the seed of a campus in Eenhana and Lüderitz, with land in Walvis Bay for a possible coastal branch of the university, and one in Kleine Kuppe. Inedible markAs Tjivikua is celebrating another rite of passage tomorrow, 27 July, one hopes that he will be told that indeed he was part of a generation that taught us that the impact of public funds should be seen and felt long after our departure. In conclusion, let me correct those who answered Masisi that Tjivikua is currently farming. His influence extends beyond academia into various national bodies, where he continues to participate in shaping policies related to education and the development of Namibia. As President Nangolo Mbumba corrected all and sundry on the day in question, Tjivikua is not farming, but continues to be a consultant for various international agencies, contributing to the economy of the country through various business engagements and is currently serving on the Electricity Control Board as its deputy chairperson. His leadership has left an indelible mark on Namibian higher education, which should ensure that NUST continues to thrive and adapt in a rapidly changing world, hence a president of a foreign sister country remembers him, long after his departure from the institution. I have no choice but to remain an optimistic optimist that, once all is said and done, NUST will re-emerge and reclaim its position. Tjivikua is the worthy recipient of that Latin maxim of “age quod agis”, and his legacy cannot be ignored nor erased.Happy birthday, Tjama.**Joshua Razikua Kaumbi is the chief legal advisor at NUST. The views expressed in this article are solely that of the author and do not in any way represent the institution(s) to which he is affiliated.

The legacy of Tjama Tjivikua

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

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The legacy of Tjama Tjivikua

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

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