The minister in the Presidency, Christine //Hoebes, says the government decided to award N$2 million to the composer of Namibia’s national, Axali Doeseb, who died on 27 October.
Speaking during the Gaob festival at Okombahe in the Erongo region on Saturday, //Hoebes said Doeseb can only be recognised for the melody of the national anthem, ‘Namibia, Land of the Brave’, as the lyrics of the anthem were the product of a joint effort.
//Hoebes said: “A committee was assembled that was supposed to craft the national anthem. He was one of the committee members. Some provided the lyrics, some provided the tune, the melody and he is the one who provided the melody. So it is against this background that we cannot totally and completely attribute the crafting of the anthem to one person only, because it was by a committee.”
She also said Doeseb was honoured in numerous ways, including a diplomatic passport that made his travels hindrance free, but clarified that he could not collect royalties for the national anthem.
“The government went ahead to make a decision to give him an amount of about N$2 million – it was a decision that was taken a few months back, I needed to check before I came here whether the money was paid over, but the decision was made,” she said.
President Hage Geingob conferred a state funeral on Doeseb on Friday last week.
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