Online Reporter
Prof Jairos Kangira-Correspondent
As we celebrate the illustrious life of Dr Sam Shafishuna Nujoma, the First President of Namibia and Founding Father of the Namibian nation, I would like to share with the Namibian nation the few encounters I had with this gallant freedom fighter and astute leader of the Namibian revolution for freedom, independence and social justice.
I first met Dr Nujoma in 1981 in Gweru, Zimbabwe, when I was a second year student at Mkoba Teachers’ College.
It was at a political rally in Ascot Stadium where Dr Nujoma was in the company of his closest ally, the late President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, then Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
I was in the College Choir that sang a Shona revolutionary song that exhorted Dr Sam Nujoma to intensify the liberation war and liberate Namibia.
I still remember the song; it ran thus. “Mukoma Sam, Mukoma Nujoma (Comrade Sam, Comrade Nujoma), Rovai hondo, Rovai hondo (intensify the liberation war, intensity the liberation war), Musunungure Namibia, Musunungure Namibia (So you liberate Namibia, So you liberate Namibia).”
We sang this song with so much gusto that we felt so satisfied that we had offered solidarity and encouragement to our Namibian brothers and sisters who were fighting for their liberation.
Remember Nujoma’s visit to Zimbabwe that time happened when Zimbabwe had just attained its independence in 1980.
We could relate very well with SWAPO and PLAN combatants fighting in Namibia because most of the College Choir members, including yours truly, had served as war collaborators in the Zimbabwe war of liberation which ended with a Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.
Let me hasten to say that shaking Dr Nujoma’s hand at the stadium in Gweru was a big achievement and privilege that was accorded to us choir members.
While we knew about the fighting going on in Namibia under the astute leadership of Dr Nujoma, it was momentous for us to come near him and, what more, shake his hand.
As ZANU PF youths, we adored Dr Nujoma the same way we hero-worshipped his friend Robert Mugabe.
Time, the magician, brought me close to Dr Nujoma, again in Zimbabwe.
This time it was in 1999 in the Great Hall of the University of Zimbabwe.
Again, he was in the company of his friend, the late President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe.
This time Dr Nujoma was receiving the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa.
I was then a junior lecturer in the Department of Linguistics which fell under the Faculty of Arts.
As a junior lecturer, I did not put much contribution to this since senior lecturers and professors took full charge of the process in accordance with the statutes of the university.
In his wide-ranging speech accepting the UZ Honorary Doctorate, Dr Nujoma praised the cordial relations between Zimbabwe and Namibia, emphasising that the two countries had much in common having fought against colonialism and imperialism in the same trenches.
He also touched on the importance of maintaining peace and unity, and fast-tracking economic development to benefit the black masses who were sidelined by white settler regimes in both Namibia and Zimbabwe.
It was ovation after ovation as Dr Nujoma gave his candid speech on that day.
That day the University of Zimbabwe also awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, the former Secretary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which was transformed into the African Union (AU).
Zimbabwean musician Thomas Mapfumo was given an Honorary Degree of Master of Arts at the same occasion.
As fate would have it, I found myself in Namibia on 17 September 2006.
I was hired by the Polytechnic of Namibia to take up a senior lectureship position in English in the Department of Communication. Dr Nujoma had just left office as President of Namibia in 2005.
It was pure chance that I came to Namibia. I did not have the faintest idea that one day I would settle in Namibia.
The encounters that I had had with Dr Nujoma never indicated that I would come to Namibia and choose to live in the country permanently.
As they say, it was fortuitous.
Then the Nujoma-link or encounter came to me again. This time I was Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Namibia.
Professor Mwandelemele, then Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Academic Affairs at the University of Namibia summoned me to his office one afternoon.
He told me that he, Professor Lazarus Hangula, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Namibia, other colleagues and the Sam Nujoma Foundation were working on a book on the Founding Father of the Namibian nation.
He invited me to join the team on the book project as one of the editors.
Working on a book on Dr Sam Nujoma?
Who would decline such an honour?
I accepted the invitation instantaneously.
As they say, the rest is history.
Professor Keto Mshigeni, the first Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Academic Affairs at the University of Namibia spent a lot of time working on the nine chapters of the book titled: “Teaching and Leading by Example: The Story of Sam Nujoma”.
The book was launched in the presence of the Founding Father, Government officials and other dignitaries on 6 December 2019 at the International University of Management.
The launch signified the end of the book project of this great man who traversed most parts of the globe seeking support for the liberation of Namibia from the shackles of colonialism and imperialism.
Dr Nujoma invited us (the team that had worked on his book) for lunch at his residence on 12 December 2019.
He told us about his experiences during the liberation struggle, some of them hair-raising stories.
Dr Nujoma took us to his photo gallery that was on one of the walls of his big hall before lunch.
What impressed me most was that he explained in great detail what the occasions and the people in the pictures were.
In my apostrophe, I say, Dr Sam Nujoma, you acquitted yourself as a unique and visionary leader from the liberation struggle, through your years as First President of a free Namibia, up to the time of your untimely death.
You received accolades of distinction from various universities, governments, and other organisations — all recognising the extraordinary qualities of your leadership and the role you played in liberating Namibia and advancing humanity.
Generations to come shall revere you as a principled and astute Founding Father of the Namibian nation.
Fare thee well! Rest in eternal peace our Founding Father of the Namibian nation!
The writer is a Professor of English at the University of Namibia. E-mail address: [email protected]
