‘Never forget the heroes of democracy’

Nathaniel Maxuilili, Kahumba Kandola, Tobias Hainyeko, Dimo Hamaambo, Otto Nankhudi, and Kakurukaze Mungunda, among many others, with thousands of their compatriots decided that, come what may, Namibians would have to become their own liberators by confronting the brutal apartheid enemy in a long and bitter armed struggle.

Thus, our patriotic duty, as free Namibians, is to remember those brave men and women who sacrificed greatly for our freedom. 

We should never forget those who ensured that we replaced colonial oppression with democracy, that we replaced forced labour with workers’ rights, and racial hatred with reconciliation and nation-building.

It is our history and our fight for freedom in the face of adversity which makes us a proud nation built on the sacrosanct principles of liberty, unity and justice.

Fellow Namibians, our country has been free for the past 34 years. 

Yes, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that each and every Namibian benefits from the worthy sacrifices of those who came before us, but we should also recognise that we have made good progress in such a short period of time.

Our hard-won freedom has enabled us to establish a nation that is founded on the principles of democracy, the rule of law and

justice for all. For the past 34 years, we have honoured the legacy of our heroes and heroines by formulating an institutional

framework necessary for representative democratic governance.

Our unitary state comprises central, regional and local governments and is deemed to be inclusive as it brings the government closer to the people, thereby fostering unity, peace and stability. As an example, just a few weeks ago, I was in

Khorixas in the Kunene region where I held a meeting with the leaders of traditional authorities, which was also attended by members of all three government levels. 

This meeting lasted over four hours and was conducted in an amicable atmosphere. In all regions I have visited so far, I have

engaged in such meetings. This is the essence of participatory democracy in an independent and sovereign nation, where citizens live in peace and harmony. 

This is the Namibia we have built together. For this reason, we should treasure our stability and peace, and we should ensure that our resources are utilised in a sustainable manner for the benefit of all citizens.

Together, as a united, peaceful and organised people, we will successfully defend our territorial integrity and resources.

Fellow Namibians, the government is well aware that there is an urgent need to create wealth and job opportunities for all Namibians, most specifically for the 70% of our population

which is the youth.

I have said several times that we should be in a hurry to develop and to grow our economy for each and every citizen to benefit. The citizens too, must proactively empower themselves through education and training to acquire skills to participate in the second struggle for economic freedom.

In recent years, we have made good progress on developing the green economy for the export of green hydrogen. Equally, the discovery of oil in the offshore Orange Basin and potential

development of the Kudu gas fields are set to propel Namibia to becoming a major oil and gas producer in sub-Saharan Africa. 

This will unlock many business opportunities for our people. 

The future holds much promise for Namibia, but there are also obstacles which we have to overcome for us to arrive at the gates of prosperity. At present, we are facing a devastating drought that is affecting every region across the entire country. We cannot

ignore it, we cannot escape it. 

As a result, we must face it together. To this extent, the government has announced drought-relief assistance and this has been rolled out countrywide. However, I have received disturbing reports of deaths related to malnutrition, specifically among children in various regions, and have subsequently assigned the prime minister to look into this matter and take whatever necessary measures required to address the drought and hunger situation in our country.

Fellow Namibians, we have the important task of continuing with

our democratic legacy. That in itself imposes responsibilities on all of us. In this vein, I thank those eligible voters that have

registered to vote in the November presidential and National Assembly Elections.

It is the patriotic duty of all of us to do so. Please go and vote in a peaceful manner, without intimidation or fear. In so doing, you

will contribute to the legacy of a peaceful and democratic Namibia, which the founding fathers of the Namibian Constitution have bequeathed upon us.

On this 26 August, let us commemorate our struggle for independence and celebrate our sovereignty, reminding ourselves that our freedom did not come on a silver platter. 

We honour those who defended their motherland by choosing to fight, risking their lives and in many instances paying the ultimate price for our freedom.

We honour those who suffered imprisonment and torture on Robben Island and other prisons under the brutal apartheid South

African regime.

We honour those who had to leave their loved ones and homes to go into exile for better education and to fight for a free Namibia.

We honour the masses of our compatriots who remained on the home front and faced the brutality of apartheid. This include our

workers, students, teachers, nurses, doctors, church leaders and the wider community.

We thank the governments and people of Angola and Cuba. We honour their heroic fighters, who fought valiantly alongside our

People’s Liberation Army of Namibia combatants, culminating in victory during the great battle of Cuito Cuanavale.

Many of them gave their lives so that Namibians could be free. We will always remember them and we will always honour them. For they have crossed many rivers of blood and sacrificed their lives for our freedom, peace and democracy.

Finally, we honour our heroic national leaders, the founding father of the Namibian nation, and the leader of the Namibian revolution, Sam Nujoma, the second president of Namibia, Hifikepunye Pohamba, and my late brother and third president of Namibia, Hage Geingob, for their visionary leadership both before and after independence.

Their great wisdom and guidance has enabled Namibians to unite as one nation and set us on the course towards prosperity. We remain deeply grateful to them all and will diligently continue in their footsteps.

Long live the memory of Namibia’s heroes and heroines.

Long live the veterans of the liberation struggle.

Long live the Republic of Namibia. – President Nangolo Mbumba on Heroes Day at Omuthiya, 26 August 2024