The revolutionary leader who liberated Namibia

Revered as “father of the nation” and the icon of Namibia’s liberation battle, Sam Nujoma lived as much as these expectations in additional methods than one.

His heat, broad smile and easy-going method made him likeable and accessible.

Whether or not donning a tracksuit to hitch a fun-run alongside Windhoek’s Independence Avenue, or insisting his driver hold again from official motorcades, he aimed to be a person of the individuals.

Now, 4 many years after main Namibia by a bitter guerrilla conflict towards South Africa’s racist apartheid authorities and on to independence, Nujoma has died aged 95.

He died on Saturday after being in hospital for 3 weeks as a consequence of “ailing well being”, President Nangolo Mbumba announced in a statement, including that the demise had “shaken” the nation.

The large who formed Namibia’s nationwide identification leaves a void few can hope to fill.

Namibia, beforehand known as South West Africa, suffered many years of looting and colonial violence by the hands of Europeans who had flocked to the nation across the flip of the twentieth Century.

Beginning in 1904, German colonisers killed tens of 1000’s of Namibians in what has been dubbed the world’s “forgotten genocide”. German officers used black Africans as guinea pigs for horrific crimes later repeated by the Nazis in the course of the Holocaust.

Namibia was beneath German occupation from 1884 till 1915, when Germany misplaced its colony in World Battle One.

Namibia then fell beneath the rule of white South Africa, which prolonged its racist legal guidelines to the nation, denying black Namibians any political rights, in addition to proscribing social and financial freedoms.

The introduction of sweeping apartheid laws led to a guerrilla conflict of independence breaking out in 1966.

By this stage, Nujoma was already concerned within the struggle towards white-minority rule.

The self-confessed “elder son of a peasant household” from the northern village of Etunda had a modest begin in life, with little greater than a main college schooling.

Married to Kovambo Theopoldine Katjimune with whom he had 4 youngsters, and dealing on a railway, he held a deep ardour for politics and yearned to see his individuals free from the injustice and indignity of colonialism.

Inspiration got here within the tales of early Namibian resistance leaders, akin to Hendrik Witbooi, who fought towards the Germans within the Eighteen Eighties.

By 1959, Nujoma had develop into the top of the Owamboland Peoples organisation, the independence motion that was a forerunner to Swapo.

A 12 months later, aged 30, Nujoma was compelled into exile. With no passport, he used his cunning to adopt different personas and blagged his way onto trains and planes – ending up in Zambia and Tanzania earlier than heading to West Africa.

With the assistance of Liberian authorities who had been early backers of black Namibians’ push for independence, Nujoma flew to New York and petitioned the UN to assist grant Namibia its independence – however South Africa refused.

Nujoma was branded a “Marxist terrorist” by South Africa’s white leaders for main forces that fought alongside the anti-apartheid motion, posing a formidable problem to the oppressive regimes in a number of southern African international locations.

With help from Cuban troops who had been preventing in neighbouring Angola, Swapo guerrillas had been in a position to assault South African bases in Namibia.

Coming back from exile, Nujoma was swiftly rearrested by the South African authorities and deported to Zambia six years later.

“We knew that solely army pressure and mass political mobilisation backed by the help of the individuals would pressure South Africa out of Namibia,” Nujoma narrated in his autobiography The place Others Wavered, which was revealed in 2001.

He led Swapo forces from exile, earlier than returning to the nation in 1989, a 12 months after South Africa had agreed to Namibian independence.

South Africa was changing into extra remoted internationally and the price of army intervention was growing. Namibia lastly gained independence in 1990 after virtually 25 years of warfare.

In Namibia’s first democratic elections in 1990, Swapo received an enormous majority and Nujoma grew to become the nation’s first president.

Nujoma was particularly involved with the plight of youngsters, introducing upkeep funds obliging absent fathers to contribute to the price of elevating their offspring.

He additionally championed the development of girls, serving to to vary conventional patriarchal practices that compelled widows out of the household dwelling as soon as their husband died.

He additionally appeared eager to protect stability to make sure growth efforts had been supported by worldwide donors.

Nujoma was re-elected for 2 extra phrases in 1994 and 1999 – when he was criticised for having the structure modified in order that he may stand for a 3rd time period in workplace.

When criticised for his model of presidency or questioned about his occasion’s political previous, the large smile may flip bitter. Pointing a finger at whoever dared overtly query or criticise, he would typically lose his countenance and hurl insults.

He overtly abhorred same-sex relationships, however by no means went so far as altering the structure or the regulation to make them unlawful.

Nujoma at all times valued his shut friendship with Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, but as Namibia’s president he principally steered away from open aggression towards those that didn’t agree with him.

Nevertheless by the Swapo equipment, he would fairly fortunately exert strain on the widespread man to tow the occasion line and permit the occasion to delve into authorities coffers to make sure continued rule.

Nujoma’s cupboard was usually dictated to fairly than reaching choices by joint debate, such was his energy.

When he stepped down as president in 2005 and as Swapo president in 2007 after serving because the occasion chief for 47 years – he handed energy to his successor, Hifikepunye Pohamba.

Even after leaving workplace, Nujoma nonetheless wielded appreciable energy over the occasion and authorities from behind the scenes.

But his achievements whereas in workplace are simple, with many Namibians praising him for main the nation’s easy transition to democratic rule.

Since independence, Namibia has been seen as certainly one of Africa’s success tales, with common peaceable and democratic elections.

And, regardless of the humiliations and injustices heaped upon black Namibians by white colonisers, Nujoma upheld the nation’s structure in safeguarding the fundamental rights of all Namibians no matter their race or color.

The coverage of nationwide reconciliation inspired the nation’s white neighborhood to stay, they usually nonetheless play a significant position in farming and different financial sectors.

Nujoma’s capability to unify a nation of three million individuals – throughout 10 ethnic and linguistic communities – received him many admirers.

In recognition of his towering achievement, the Namibian parliament granted him the official standing of “Founding Father of Namibia” in 2005. Quite a few worldwide honours included the Lenin Peace Prize, the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize and the Ho Chi Minh Peace Prize.

In his latter years, Nujoma disappeared from the limelight, preferring as an alternative to spend time together with his giant household.

He’s remembered for his simple allure and unwavering conviction – father not simply to a household however a complete nation.

Extra reporting by Natasha Booty