Jacob Marengo school founder dies

THE Jacob Marengo Secondary School’s founder, Ottilie Abrahams, died in a Windhoek hospital yesterday morning.

Abrahams, who was a politician and social activist, was 80.

A relative who confirmed her death said Abrahams died during an operation after spending two weeks in hospital.

Abrahams founded Jacob Marengo Secondary School in Katutura 33 years ago, and was actively involved in the school until her death.

National Council chairperson Margaret Mensah-Williams said Abrahams was no ordinary person.

“She taught me so much about gender issues and the rights of the girl-child. It is just a pity she did not get the recognition she deserved,” Mensah-Williams stated.

Born in the Old Location township of Windhoek, Abrahams attended the Trafalgar High School in District Six in Cape Town, where she became politically active.

She joined the South West Africa Students Body in 1952, and later became active in the Cape Peninsula Students Union and the Non-European Unity Movement.

Together with other activists, Abrahams formed the Yu Chi Chan Club, a secret Maoist organisation, and was a Swapo member from 1960-1963.

She and her husband, Kenneth Abrahams, and fellow Swapo dissidents Emil Appolus and Andreas Shipanga formed the Swapo Democrats while in exile in Sweden.

However, she left the Swapo Democrats in 1980, and later joined the Namibia Independence Party, where she served as the secretary general and publicity and information secretary.

The Namibia Independence Party was part of the Namibia National Front coalition, which won one seat in the 1989 election to the Constitution-writing Constituent Assembly of Namibia.

Education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa yesterday said Abrahams was “the epitome of bravery, intellect, vision, focus and hard work”.

“I shall never forget her patriotic contributions to the Jacob Marengo Secondary School, which she founded during the difficult days of the liberation struggle,” said Hanse-Himarwa.

The relative who spoke to yesterday said Abrahams was always worried about the school.

“While she was in hospital, she would run the school from her hospital bed, making sure teachers were paid. We did not prepare ourselves for her death, although we knew the day would come. But her hospital admission to us was hope; hoping she would come from there feeling better,” the family member said.

Abrahams was the last of five children of Otto and Charlotte Schimming. She is survived by her four children and six grandchildren.