Tribute To The Freedom Fighter-Sam Nujoma Of Namibia

The world was gripped with sorrow when news of the death of the founding father of what is known today as the Republic of Namibia-Sam Nujoma was announced. The African liberation fighter passed away just 15 minutes before entering 9th February, 2025. In other words, Nujoma died on Saturday 8th February, 2025 at exactly 23.45 pm.

As the world mourns the passing of this revolutionary icon, the leadership of the New African Charter International (NACI) wish to join all well-meaning Africans in paying Dr Sam Nujoma a special tribute. February, to say, has become a dark historic month for Africans in Namibia. A year ago this month in 2024, the President of Namibia, His Excellency Hage Geingob died. This year, the founding father of the Southern African nation is dead. He died at 95.

Life is worth living and every living soul must taste the wrath of death at the ordained time. The same can be said also that, everyone has a birth-day and so also a day to die. For Sam Nujoma, his death is a sharp reminder of the importance of freedom, sovereignty and homeland dignity to every African on the continent and abroad.

Perhaps, one of the attributes that determined Dr Sam Nujoma’s character was the history of his birth. He was born on 12 May 1929 at the Etunda village, Omusati Region in the north-western part of Namibia. He was the first born in a family of 11. He was the founding President of the Republic of Namibia.

In 1949 Nujoma went to live in Windhoek with his uncle Hiskia Kondombolo. In Windhoek he started working for the South African Railways (SAR). At this period, he attended adult night school at St. Barnabas in the Windhoek Old Location. He further studied for his Junior Certificate through correspondence at the Trans-Africa Correspondence College in South Africa.

With a deep passion for politics and yearning to see his people free from the restricted pass law system and confined according to ethnic groupings, Dr Nujoma resigned from the SAR in 1957 at the age of 29. He did so with the purpose of devoting his time to politics.

In 1959, he was elected Leader of the Owambo People’s Organisation, which aimed at ending the then contract system and ending the South African colonial administration by placing South West Africa under the United Nations (UN) Trusteeship system. Through this, Dr Nujoma petitioned the UN in the late 50s – together with Chief Hosea Kutako, Samuel Witbooi, Theophilus Hamutumbangela, Toivo ya Toivo and others – demanding that the then South West Africa be placed under the UN Trusteeship system.

In March 1966, in a bid to test South Africa’s claims at the International Court of Justice at The Hague that Namibians in exile were free to return, Nujoma – accompanied by President Hifikepunye Pohamba – chartered a plane to Windhoek. On arrival at the airport, they were arrested and deported to Zambia on 21 March 1966.

While in Zambia, he planned the liberation struggle to free his country and people from the yoke of apartheid colonialism. Nujoma transported the first weapons that were to be used at launching of armed struggle on 26 August 1966 from Algeria via Egypt, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia into the country to Omugulugwombashe in Uukwaluudhi District in the Omusati region, which marked the launch of the armed struggle. He spent most part of his struggle for nationhood outside his country.

Namibia obtained national independence, sovereignty and domestic self-rule on 21st March, 1990 with Sam Nujoma as the first President of the Southern African nation. Nujoma was leader of the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party for 47 successful years. Since Namibia’s independence, this event has been commemorated annually as part of Heroes’ Day on 26 August.

Nujoma stepped down on 21 March 2005, handing over the power to his successor, President Pohamba. He also stepped down as the first President of the Party on 30 November 2007, handing over the power to his successor.

Sam Nujoma left behind a legacy as an example, which can and will inspire the new generation of African leaders. It is not a mistake to mention here that Namibia has undertaken the path towards Economic Freedom, the very foundation laid by that country’s revolutionary leader, Dr Sam Nujoma, who the World and Africans are mourning today. Truly, most African countries are crippling today because their founding leaders betrayed the conscience of their people. These countries, which include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cameroon, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia, Chad, Libya, etc. find themselves entangled in self-destructive wars-tribal, political and economic conflicts. They have failed to create enabling environment for peace, development, sustainability, prosperity and better future.

The new Africa knows no artificial borders among Africans. African government that are still trapped in poverty and degeneracy must wake now from the slumber, as the Sahel countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger have pointed the path to real freedom, justice and dignity for entire Africa. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which consists of Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger, no doubt is the voice of the New Africa that brings African countries together to free the rest of the continent from the unjust global economic system that ruin whole nations, whole peoples and whole regions.

This unjust and anti-people global system is harming the ability of African governments to realise the political, economic and social rights of their citizens. Instead of copying the example of the AES, most African governments and leaders have opted to remain silent to the continued human rights violations and democratic freedoms of their citizens. This approach is nothing but a complete sellout and betrayal of the vision left behind by the continent’s independence heroes.

Every living soul shall live a life circle as ordained by God Almighty Allah, so written in the Holy Books. Africa has come of age with lots of challenges as the continent remains today as the land of leadership poverty and indignities. Africa’s rich and abundant natural resources and wealth are never allowed to benefits African people. Instead, the continent takes back seat in development, while its resources and wealth are being siphoned to develop foreign capitals. Most part of Africa is facing leadership cancer, even worse than what led to most civil wars on the continent.

Sam Nujoma has died without a personal mansion as do leaders in most parts of Africa. The Namibian leader has died without any private bank account or riches accumulated because of his presidency or influence. Like Muammar Gadhafi in Libya, Jerry John Rawlings in Ghana, Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso, Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Namibia is a middle income nation. Thanks to the wise, visionary and role-model leadership exhibited by Dr Sam Nujoma.

Something fundamental has really gone wrong with current leaders in Africa. We are so scared to start thinking that the brutal poverty among Africans is a sentence to hell. How can we justify the poverty in a region that is known to be endowed with the world’s rich natural resources?

Africans are called upon to organize annual commemoration events to honor the legacy of their authentic leaders. A date should be set aside to remember all African heroes, who fought for the liberation of the continent from foreign rule and domination and for domestic self-rule. The proposed events should be organized to serve as reminder of the contributions of African revolutionary icons and their efforts to make life better for African people-the improvement in the social services, education, and economic development of the continent during their leadership.

Can current African leaders follow the examples, say for instance, of Dr Sam Nujoma in uniting the continent, and not acting as black neo-colonial oppressors against the African people. Ethnocentric political-bigotry is killing any development and prosperity agenda in Africa. While countries like Rwanda do not recognize other and some tribes, Namibia for instance, believes all tribes are equal and should be treated equally. Election of the President of Namibia is not based on ethnic or regional bigotry, but on national consideration or level. African leaders and all Africans must learn from the Namibian revolutionary icon, who led his people to freedom not based on education, but inspired by a Pan African agenda.

We have seen in African today, where educated men and women who joined politics because of their educational status-or their PhDs, Masters and Bachelors’ degrees-have failed to change bogus independence into real freedom-uplift the status of their people to a dignified and happy life. These crops of leaders cannot even provide good social services such as education, health, electricity, water, good roads and communications, and cannot even feed their people well.

Sam Nujoma with 3 others in a town controlled heavily by White Capitalists Walvis Bay launched a struggle that blanketed the entire nation and inspired others in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa to remove their law gowns and headgears to become lay-men for the sake of freedom of the African people.

The day other African countries will understand and follow the Namibian footpath will be the final liberation of the continent. Not surprising, with all the Professors, Doctors and Master’s degree holders that have emerged as leaders in Africa, the continent retrogresses instead of moving forward. So education should not be seen as a yardstick towards good leadership and heroism.

Africa tops United Nations Human Development Index as the poorest continent, despite being led by highly educated men and women who are at the helm of affairs. One wonders when our educated men and women at the corridors of leadership will back a just accolade in good governance, improved economy and political stability. Sam Nujoma has left us a legacy that we can continue the struggle for freedom and dignity of Africans against oppression, marginalisation and deprivation, not based on educational status of an individual, but what the individual is ready and willing to sacrifice for the greatness of his or her country.

Sam Nujoma remained throughout his life free from bombast and managed to evade the isolating trappings of public office that so often ensnare politicians. He was always approachable and lived a simple life. The name Sam Nujoma is inextricably bound to the history and political evolution of Namibia and Africa. He has truly earned the admiration of the world, and Namibians and Africans must not mourn his death, but instead should celebrate the late Nujoma’s pragmatic political acumen and Pan African vision.

As Namibia mourns the passing of Sam Nujoma, so does the New African Charter International (NACI). We offer condolences to all members of the Nujoma family, his large universe of friends and colleagues, and the many who have been touched by his practicality, sound judgment, and commitment to Pan Africanism.

Dr Sam Nujoma has given us a life of hard work, diligence and accomplishment. His successes were not attained by sudden flight, but by constant effort and determination. In this he pointed the light for leaders like Assimi Goïta (Mali), Ibrahim Traore (Burkina Faso) and Abdourahamane Tchiani (Republic of Niger) to stand against terrorism, injustice and foreign manipulative mechanism in Africa. Nujoma is a model for the wider Africa and his soul should be seen as a strength to provide Nandi Ndaitwa, Duma Boko, Haikande Hichilema, John Dramani Mahama and Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye the strong heart and mind set to bail African out of the precipice.

Sam Nujoma’s place in history is secure. He has left an enormous legacy which should be guiding African leaders today. May his soul and those of Patrice Lumumba (Congo), Abubakar Tafawa Barewa (Nigeria), Murtala Muhammed (Nigeria) Sekou Toure, (Guinea) Anwar Sadat (Egypt), Sylvanus Olympio (Togo), Luís Severino de Almeida Cabral (Guinea Bissau), Thomas Sankala Burkina Faso), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Julius Nyerere, (Tanzania), Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Samora Machel (Mozambique), Robert Sobukwe (South Africa), Bantu Steve Biko (South Africa), Sheikh Anta Diop (Senegal), Nelson Mandela (South Africa) , Chris Hani (South Africa), Orton Chirwa (Malawi), Yatuta Chisiza (Malawi), Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia), Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Jerry John Rawlings (Ghana), Hage Geingob (Namibia), Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Maurice Bishop (Grenada), Martin Luther King Jr (African diaspora), Malcolm X (African diaspora), Marcus Mosiah Garvey (African diaspora), etc. rest in peace.

Africa must unite!

Signed:
Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh
Co-founder and President
The New African Charter International
NACI

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