On behalf of the government and people of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered condolences to the government and people of Namibia following the passing of the country’s first democratically-elected president Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma.
The 95-year-old passed away on Saturday, 8 February, in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city.
NAMIBIA’S FOUNDING PRESIDENT SAM NUJOMA HAS DIED
Nujoma led Namibia from 1990 and retired as head of state in 2005. However, he continued to lead Namibia’s liberation party the South West Africa People’s Organisation(Swapo) before stepping down in 2007 as president after 47 years at the helm, BBC Newsreported.
“Our Founding Father lived a long and consequential life during which he exceptionally served the people of his beloved country. Our Founding Father heroically marshalled the Namibian people during the darkest hours of our liberation struggle until the attainment of freedom and independence on the 21st of March 1990.
“As Founding President, His Excellency, Dr. Sam Nujoma provided maximum leadership to our nation and spared no effort to motivate each and every Namibian to build a country that would stand tall and proud among the nations of the world. In that vein, our venerable leader, Dr. Nujoma did not only blaze the trail to freedom – but he also inspired us to rise to our feet and to become masters of this vast land of our ancestors,” The country’s current President Dr Nangolo Mbumba said.
Following the anti-apartheid activist’s passing, Ramaphosa said his thoughts are with Namibian President Dr Nangolo Mbumba and the government of South Africa’s north western neighbour who are experiencing this loss 12 months following the passing of President Hage Geingob.
President 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,” Ramaphosa said.
HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER THE LATE DR SAM NUJOMA?
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