Revolutionary leader who liberated Namibia

Sam Nujoma, respected as the “father of the nation” and idol of the struggle for liberation in Namibia, lived up to these expectations in more than one way.

His warm, broad smile and easy-going attitude make him lovely and accessible.

Whether it’s wearing sportswear to join a recreational run on Windhoek’s Independence Avenue or insisting that his driver hangs out of the official fleet, his goal is to be a man of the people.

Now, forty years after leading Namibia through painful guerrilla warfare and independence against the racist racist government in South Africa, Nujoma has passed away 95.

President Nangolo Mbumba died Saturday after being hospitalized for three weeks due to a “health condition”. Announced in a statementadding that death has “shake” the country.

The giants that shape the identity of the Namibian nation invalidate the giants that few people hope to fill.

Previously known as Southwestern Africa, Namibia suffered decades of robbery and colonial violence in the hands of Europeans who flocked to the country in the early 20th century.

Since 1904, German colonists have killed tens of thousands of Namibians known as the world “Forgotten Genocide”. German officers used black Africans as guinea pigs to cause horrible crimes, which later repeated during the Holocaust.

From 1884 to 1915, Germany lost its colony in World War I, and Namibia was occupied by Germany.

Namibia then belonged to the white rule of South Africa, which extended its racist laws to the country, denying any political rights of black Namibians and limiting social and economic freedoms.

The introduction of apartheid legislation led to the 1966 Guerrilla War of Independence.

By this stage, Nujoma has been involved in the fight against the white minority rule.

The life of the self-described “the eldest son of a peasant family” from the northern village of Etunda started moderately, but it was just elementary school education.

Married to Katjimune, the king of Kovam Bos, who had four children, and worked on the railway, he was passionate about politics and longed to see his people free from the injustice and insults of colonialism.

Inspired by stories of early Namibian resistance leaders, such as Hendrik Witbooi, who fought against the Germans in the 1880s.

By 1959, Nujoma had become the head of the Owamboland Peoples organization, a pioneer of Swapo.

A year later, Nujoma was 30 years old and forced to exile. Without a passport, he takes different roles with a cunning man and blows his own way to the train and plane – End before heading to West Africa in Zambia and Tanzania.

With the help of Liberian authorities, early supporters of the Namibians urged independence, Nujoma flew to New York and petitioned the United Nations to help Namibia grant Namibia independence – but South Africa refused.

Nujoma is called “Marxist terrorists” by white leaders in South Africa because they fought with the anti-apartheid movement, posing a huge challenge to oppressive regimes in several southern African countries.

Supported by Cuban troops fighting in neighboring Angola, Swapo guerrillas were able to attack the South African base in Namibia.

Returning from the exiles, Nuimma was quickly reoccupied by South African authorities and expelled to Zambia six years later.

“We know that only military forces and large-scale political mobilization supported by the people will force South Africa to drive out of Namibia,” Nujoma said in his autobiography.

A year after South Africa agreed to Namibia’s independence, he returned to the country in 1989 to lead the Swabo troops.

South Africa is becoming increasingly isolated internationally, and the cost of military intervention is increasing. After nearly 25 years of war, Namibia finally gained independence in 1990.

In Namibia’s first Democratic election in 1990, Swapo won the vast majority of seats and Nuima became the country’s first president.

Nujoma focuses specifically on the plight of children, introducing the obligation to absent the father’s maintenance payments to promote the cost of their offspring.

He also advocated for women’s progress, helping to change traditional patriarchal customs, and once the husband died, they drove the widow out of the family.

He also seems to be eager to maintain stability to ensure the development efforts of international donors.

Nujoma was reelected for two terms in 1994 and 1999 – when he was criticized for his constitutional changes so that he could serve his third term.

The broad smile can turn sour when criticizing his government style or questioning the political past of his party. He points to someone who dares to question or criticize publicly, and he sometimes loses his face and insults.

He publicly abolished same-sex relations, but never changed the constitution or law to make it illegal.

Nujoma always maintained a close friendship with Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, but as President of Namibia, he was mostly reluctant to publicly aggression against those who disagreed with him.

But through the Swapo machinery, he would happily put pressure on the average person to drag the party’s line and to let the party go deep into government stocks to ensure sustained domination.

Nuimma’s cabinet is often asked to make decisions rather than through joint debates, and that’s his power.

When he served as president in 2005 and became president in 2007 after 47 years as party leader – he handed over the power to his successor, Hifike Punye Pohamba.

Even after leaving the office, Nuimma still played considerable power behind the scenes over the party and the government.

However, his achievements during his tenure are undeniable, with many Namibians praising him for leading the country’s smooth transition to democratic rule.

Since independence, Namibia has been regarded as one of Africa’s success stories and has regular peaceful and democratic elections.

And, despite the humiliation and injustice caused by white colonists to black Namibians, Nuimma insisted on the country’s constitution to uphold the fundamental rights of all Namibians, regardless of their race or color.

Policies of national reconciliation encourage white communities in the country to stay, who still play a major role in agriculture and other economic sectors.

Nujoma’s ability to unify a country of 3 million people (scattered across 10 ethnic and language communities) – has won many admirers.

In recognition of his towering achievements, the Namibian Parliament awarded him the official position of “Father of the Founding Father of Namibia” in 2005. Many international honors include the Lenin Peace Prize, the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize and the Ho Chi Minh Peace Prize.

Nujoma disappeared in the years that followed, and would rather spend time with his extended family.

He is remembered for his relaxed charm and firm belief-the father is not only a family, but also an entire country.

Other reports from Natasha Booty