Tributes continue to pour in for former statesman, Dr Sam Nujoma, who died on Saturday aged 95, after a three-week stay in hospital.
Born Samuel Shafishuna (lightning) Daniel Nujoma on 12 May 1929 at Etunda in northern Namibia, he became Namibia’s first president after the country attained independence in 1990.
President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa said “as neighbours and compatriots, South Africa is united in grief with Namibians who have lost the leader of the Namibian revolution, who is inseparable from our own history of struggle and liberation.
Dr Sam Nujoma was an extraordinary freedom fighter who divided his revolutionary programme between Namibia’s own struggle against South African colonialism and the liberation of South Africa from apartheid.
In exile and on home soil, he led the Ovambo People’s Organisation, the South West Africa People’s Organisation and the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia against the seemingly unshakeable might of colonial and apartheid authorities and forces.”
King Charles III, said on Tuesday, “President Nujoma’s contribution to history was immense, through his leadership of the long struggle for independence, and his subsequent service of fifteen years as the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia. I recall with particular gratitude how much Her late Majesty The Queen enjoyed Her State Visit to Namibia in 1991, hosted so graciously by President Nujoma. His lifelong commitment to freedom and democracy, overcoming so much adversity on that journey, was truly inspirational. It is a testament to the legacy of Dr. Nujoma that the Republic of Namibia, as a valued member of the Commonwealth of Nations, still maintains and embodies the values of peace and democracy which its Founding President so keenly promoted and protected.”
Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Acting Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja said “the departed elder statesman was a visionary leader, a Pan-Africanist, and a relentless freedom fighter who dedicated his life to the emancipation of Namibia from colonial rule. His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and self-determination, not only shaped the destiny of Namibia, but also inspired generations of Africans in the fight against oppression and injustice.”
Picture: AZAPO