Nujoma leaves assets to Etunda Trust

A trust that founding president Sam Nujoma set up three years ago inherits nearly all of the former head of state’s assets, in terms of Nujoma’s last will and testament.

In his will, signed on 12 February 2022, Nujoma stipulated that the Etunda Trust should inherit his entire estate, except for N$50 000 that should be used for scholarships for the pupils of Etunda Primary School, situated at Nujoma’s farm near Otavi.

Nujoma stated in the will: “It is my wish that the educational needs of the children attending Etunda Primary School are provided for. To this extent, I bequeath an amount of N$50 000 which must be used for scholarships and bursaries for the Etunda school’s pupils.”

The assets left to the Etunda Trust comprise “my entire estate and effects, movable and immovable, intellectual properties, proceeds of any auction of any of my historical materials (with sentimental value), artworks, copyrights and royalties”, Nujoma stated in his three-page will.

He also directed that the trustees of the Etunda Trust should, “with due consideration to the availability of funds and the other obligations of the trust”, consider paying a minimum of three percent and a maximum of eight percent of his royalties to Swapo.

Nujoma did not stipulate what royalties he was referring to.

The former president appointed lawyer Sisa Namandje, who was his legal adviser, to be the executor of his will.

Nujoma also included a safeguard for beneficiaries, directing in his will and also in the deed of trust of the Etunda Trust that any inheritance received by any beneficiary under his will would remain separate from any communal or joint estate of beneficiaries and their spouses.

This clause prevents the assets from being controlled by a beneficiary’s spouse, even if they are married in community of property.

The Etunda Trust was constituted on the same day that Nujoma signed his will, and carries the name of Nujoma’s home village in the Omusati region and also of his farm in the Otavi area.

Nujoma, who served as Namibia’s head of state from 1990 to 2005, died at the age of 95 on 8 February.

He was 92 years old when he signed his will.

In the deed of trust of the Etunda Trust, Nujoma’s sons Utoni and Zacky Nujoma are named as initial trustees in control of the trust.

Nujoma was named as the first beneficiary of the trust, while former first lady Kovambo Nujoma, labour minister Utoni Nujoma and Zacky Nujoma were named as future beneficiaries in equal shares, following Nujoma’s death.

According to the trust deed, the Etunda Trust was set up for the benefit of Nujoma as its founder and first beneficiary and his family as future beneficiaries.

The trustees have the power to pay sums from the income of the trust to beneficiaries for their maintenance.

The deed of trust also states that the objectives of the trust include “to generally promote and pursue with credibility, pride and unity, the physical, mental [and] educational well-being of the beneficiaries”, and to establish, improve and enhance an effective health and medical care system for the beneficiaries.

The trust’s objectives further include the “religious and moral upliftment and revival of the beneficiaries” and their social development and upliftment.

The deed of trust further states that its objectives are the establishment, improvement and enhancement of an effective health, medical care and educational system for the community in the surrounding area of the farm Etunda.