Aminuis chief hails late Geingob’s contribution

Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) Aminuis chief Bethold Tjiundje has hailed late Namibian president Hage Geingob for his vision and contribution to chief Hosea Kutako’s homestead.

Geingob was the mastermind behind the newly inaugurated chief Hosea Kutako Memorial Museum and Homestead Shrine at Toasis village in the Omaheke region.

Tjiundje, speaking at the inauguration on Tuesday, said Geingob is the true heir to chief Kutako, who was a Namibian nationalist and a patriot par excellence.

Geingob had a vision for the shrine and the memorial museum and worked tirelessly to ensure its successful completion, Tjiundje said.

“Geingob used to describe himself as part of a new breed of African leaders, inclusive in their governance and committed to the advancement of all citizens. His motto, as you may recall, was about ‘Building a Namibian House in which no one is left behind’,” Tjiundje said.

He highlighted that Geingob did not build a shrine in his own honour. “He did not go and build a shrine in honour of the late Chief [David] Goreseb, who was a notable feature in Namibia’s resistance struggle.

He came to build this shrine in Toasis, thus asserting a common Namibian nationhood with a shared history, as espoused by chief Kutako. “We honour and salute him. May his soul rest in peace.”

Tjiundje thanked sitting president Nangolo Mbumba for rising to the occasion at a most challenging time for the nation, when Geingob died.

“Through you, I want to thank the Namibian government and fellow Namibians for this investment in Toasis. It is a significant investment whose return is not and cannot be measured in terms of money. The cultural and socio-economic multiplier effects of this investment are immeasurable and will stand the test of time,” he said.

The chief also told president Mbumba he can count on the OTA to be a partner in furthering the agenda of unity in diversity, natural resources beneficiation and youth empowerment for sustainable development. “It is indeed an enormously powerful agenda that requires all of us, in our diversity, to participate and benefit meaningfully in the value chain of our natural resources, and to empower the youth as the ultimate heirs of those resources,” Tjiundje added.