Nujoma ‘rumours’ disturb Pohamba

FORMER President Hifikepunye Pohamba says allegations about Founding President Sam Nujoma neither being Namibian nor Swapo’s founding leader disturb him.

The allegations were made by former Swapo employee Henny Seibeb in a widely circulated Facebook post.

Seibeb, who was responding to a post by former youth league secretary Elijah Ngurare wrote: “Nujoma was and is never a founding father of Swapo nor Namibia. That is a lie and we all know it.”

Ngurare had written: “Dr Sam Nujoma is Founding President of Swapo party and Founding President of Namibia. Some people are founding fathers of UDF, Nudo or RDP.”

Speaking at the commissioning of the Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba police patrol vessel at Walvis Bay on Friday, Pohamba said people must not distort Namibia’s history.

“These stories written by others are disturbing. We must put history into context to ensure future generations know and understand the facts,” he stated.

In her vote of thanks at the same event, deputy minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Christine //Hoebes described the comment as “malicious” and an effort to tarnish Nujoma’s name.

“These are all myths similar to the myth that former President Pohamba does not like the weather at the coast. He loves the weather, and calls it nice and fresh and good for people,” she noted. Seibeb yesterday told The Namibian that the issue has been blown out of context by the Sam Nujoma Foundation for their own political motives.

“No one disputes Nujoma’s key role in the struggle of this nation. The question was about the origin of the Swapo party; how it was formed,” he said, adding that the history of the party and Namibia was common knowledge to the public.

Seibeb also said that as a researcher and student of politics, he has every right to study history and not go with populist views, and that he was in the process of writing a book about the history of Swapo in the context of African politics.

“It will be great if Nujoma, Toivo ya Toivo, Pohamba, //Hoebes and others grant me an audience and share with me the fact for a thorough record of history,” he said, agreeing with Pohamba that history should be contextualised.

Seibeb reiterated that Nujoma never founded Swapo.

“He was in Swanu,” Seibeb said, suggesting that there were others who first formed the party.