Rosa Namises delivered a poem honouring the courageous Namibian women who resisted oppression and stood fearlessly against the system of apartheid at the Old Location Cemetery on Tuesday.
Namises was speaking during the commemoration of International Human Rights and Namibian Women’s Day.
Namises described the women of the Old Location as “short, brave, strong, with bright eyes and no fear in their breast” – who faced overwhelming odds without fear.
She celebrated their defiance and strength in the face of brutality, emphasising their unwavering resistance to the injustice of the time. Through her words, Namises painted a picture of women who, despite the violence and oppression they faced, “challenged a system they did not want”.
The poem emphasised the symbolic strength of these women and their defiance, as well as their determination to challenge an unjust system.
In the poem, Namises also reflected on the significance of the year 1959, when these women stood firm, chanting “doeda tite”, which means “we will not move”, as a call of resistance.
Namises captured their determination with the line “Rise, women, rise”, urging the current generation to remember and honour those who resisted with their l
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