African leaders, both historical and contemporary, convened in Namibia on Saturday to pay their respects to the nation’s “founding father,” Sam Nujoma, who stood against colonialism and the military rule imposed by South Africa’s oppressive white minority government.
Among the attendees were notable figures such as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, former President Thabo Mbeki, and ex-Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who gathered to honor Nujoma. He transitioned from a childhood spent herding cattle to leading the largely arid southern African nation on March 21, 1990.
In his address, President Nangolo Mbumba remarked, “We fought under your command, … triumphed in the liberation struggle, and permanently eradicated apartheid colonialism from Namibia.”
Nujoma’s coffin, adorned with the national flag of red, green, and blue, was interred at Heroes’ Acre, a war memorial constructed by North Korea, just two weeks following his passing at the age of 95.
This monument commemorates those who resisted the brutal German colonial regime and later, after Germany ceded the territory post-World War I, the South African occupation.
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Nujoma held the presidency from 1990 until 2005, positioning himself as a leader who aimed to unify the nation across political lines. Nonetheless, he faced backlash for his intolerance towards critical media, his outspoken views on homosexuality, and the controversial 1998 constitutional amendment that permitted him to seek a third term.
