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‘Meester’ Shipanga laid to rest

GOVERNMENT leaders, family and friends gathered at the Heroes’ Acre on the outskirts of Windhoek on Saturday morning to lay the late pioneer educationist, Martin Lazarus Shipanga, to rest.

Kaali said his father had dedicated his whole life to education, and contributed immensely to the development of education infrastructure and Namibia’s school curriculums.

The late Shipanga was instrumental in the founding of Katutura Secondary School, later renamed to Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School, Concordia College and others, Kaali said.

President Hage Geingob, who also paid his respects, said he was glad he did not disappoint his former teacher.

Geingob said when he returned to Namibia as Swapo director of elections, he did not get time to reconnect properly with ‘Meester’, but that Shipanga would often refer to him by saying: “Dis my seun.”.

“That’s how proud our teachers should be, and a child must not disappoint a teacher, and I didn’t disappoint him,” he said.

Geingob said later on, as president, he had the opportunity of inviting some former students of Augustineum to State House in Shipanga’s honour.

“As I reminisce about this great soul and what his legacy means to many of us, I am reminded of the words of the former president of South Africa, the late comrade Nelson Madiba Mandela, who once said ‘education is the great engine of personal development’.”

Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani recounted his moments with Shipanga during the late 1980s while attending St Barnabas Primary School, which was a stone’s throw from Shipanga’s shop.

“I remember how we would tease him when he came from work, especially during break time, because as young boys in the 80s we were very naughty,” he said.

Venaani said they would overcrowd Shipanga’s shop looking for ‘Katutura’s delicacy’ – bread with liver spread.

“When we flooded the shop he would go to the door and close it. Many of us would not have 50c to buy bread with liver spread. He would deal with you right there and then. We would always shout: ‘Inspector, this is not a school, this is a shop! How can you give us a hiding?’,” he recalled.

Venaani said Shipanga’s trail of deeds will always be remembered.

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