Africa-Press – Angola. Belonging to one of the most powerful kingdoms of the Ambós tribe (southern Angola and northern Namibia), the sovereign Mandume-ya-Ndemufayo, who died on February 6, 1917, by suicide, is an icon of resistance to colonial occupation.
Designated king of the Oukwanhama, Mandume is venerated for his determination and for hindering the project of establishing the Portuguese colonial administration, imposing heavy defeats that led European states to ally themselves against his reign.
Since then, his name and deeds have been marked in the tradition of the Ambós, who nicknamed him “The Incomparable Knight”.
107 years after his death, the king continues to be venerated for preferring suicide rather than being captured and consequently colonized by the Portuguese, after the weakening of his state by the occupationist forces.
Researcher Pedro Tongeni described that King Mandume-ya-Ndemufayo assumed the throne at a very young age and, due to his courage and bravery, commanded the destinies of the Ambós people in one of the most difficult periods in the history of the southern region, from 1911 to 1917.
During Mandume’s reign, he stressed, the guerrillas between the African peoples ended and became only against the Portuguese who tried to occupy the southern part of Angola at all costs.
He explained that before the colonial occupation, the Ambós were divided into the kingdoms of Oukwanhama (the most important), Kuamato (small and large), and those of the states of Evale, Dombala and Kafima.
These states, he added, lived together and there were no wars between them, except for some conflicts due to guerrillas.
Pedro Tongeni highlighted that, in addition to Portugal, Germany also wanted to dominate the southern region, rich in mineral resources and livestock.
He added that the successive defeats inflicted by the Oukwanhamas on the Portuguese led the highest commander of the Portuguese troops, in lower Cunene, to make a report on the situation, which forced the urgent arrival, from Mozambique, of General Pereira d’Eça.
Upon arriving in Angola, he was appointed governor-general and supreme head of the Portuguese Armed Forces.
The new governor-general organized himself and, in August 1915, ordered battles against the Oukwanhamas on the outskirts of Mongua.
The battle of Môngua is considered one of the greatest defeats for the Portuguese throughout the occupation of Africa and is described as the “Battle of Battles”, under the command of Mandume.
Culture Office in Cunene
The director of the Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports office in Cunene, Nelson Ndelimukuata, valued the figure of Mandume-ya-Nademufayo, who fearlessly defended his people against colonial occupation.
“When he came to power, he did not accept that the territory was dominated by the Portuguese, he fought until his death, which is why he is considered the defender of the resistance between 1911-1917, in the south of Angola”, he stated.
He recalled that the king showed a great spirit of heroism and these acts must be followed to honor and defend the interests of Angola.
Regarding the preservation and enhancement of his historical legacy, he said that the Angolan Government built the King’s Memorial Tourist Complex, where his remains rest, as well as the restoration of the kingdom.
He made it known that, in honor of the 107th anniversary of his death, several activities are planned, with emphasis on the literary competition “Write to remember Mandume”.
Nelson Ndelimukuata said that the award has its own characteristic which is to perpetuate the king’s achievements, through writing in the categories of poetry, short stories and scientific articles, and that it is now in its third edition.
Students defend Mandume’s approach in the school curriculum
Students on the Ondjiva Teaching History course defended the inclusion of Mandume’s life and work in school curricula, aiming to transmit knowledge, bravery and patriotic spirit to new generations.
Bartolomeu dos Santos, a 10th grade student, said that the approach to the history of Mandume, as it is very rich in terms of trajectory, is very summarized in the curriculum manuals.
In turn, Inocência Ndeunyema recalled that only in the first cycle did she learn about the king’s legacy, but in summarized content, hence the need to expand achievements to allow current generations to cultivate the patriotic spirit.
Another student, Camila Manuel, stated that in high school they talk more about the history of Africa, with particular emphasis on Egypt, but the fundamental thing would be to bring up the kings who fought for the liberation of Angola.
Student Sofia Tomás referred to the need for the country’s history to be transcribed and transmitted in schools so as not to be hidden, as a way of preserving the cultural identity that characterizes Angolans themselves.
In turn, the director of the Cunene Education office, Domingos de Oliveira, explained the need to continue cultivating the spirit of Angolanity in school institutions, as a way of recognizing national heroes, in which Mandume stands out for his bravery and courage demonstrated during the period of resistance to colonial occupation.
The person responsible admitted the existence of a great deficit in the approach to matters related to the trajectory of Mandume, and other kingdoms, as well as anonymous heroes who stood out in the fight to defend the country.
Domingos de Oliveira said that the Ministry of Education has a great responsibility in rescuing the figures who contributed to the liberation of the country, from the moment of resistance to colonial occupation, the struggle for independence and peace, and bringing them to the attention of students in schools.
Government recognizes the king’s achievements
To praise the figure of the king, the Angolan Executive built, in 2000, in the town of Oihole, the King’s Memorial Tourist Complex, whose inaugural event was, in 2002, presided over by the then Angolan head of state, José Eduardo dos Santos, flanked by the former President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma.
Elevated to national cultural heritage, the tomb is a highly representative site, with green arches in the shape of an Omufiati leaf crossing each other, protecting the king’s last bed, which is surrounded by wooden-shaped concrete stakes, as if it were from a package in the region.
It is a sacred place for the Ambô people, for the Cuanhama (Angola) and for the Ovambos (Namibia), who after 107 years of their death continue to venerate the place, being a mandatory visit point for anyone who wants to know better the stories of the country.
On his tomb, his famous words can be read: “If the English are looking for me, I’m here, and they can come and set a trap for me, I won’t fire the first shot, but I’m not a kid on mules, I’m a man (…) and I will fight until my last bullet is spent”.
Between shutdowns and reactivations, today almost no one visits the place. The few who go there simply pay homage to the sovereign, especially during the celebration of the 6th of February, placing a leaf from the omufiati tree, which symbolizes power, respect and luck.
In July 2020, the equestrian statue of King Mandume-ya-Ndemufaho was inaugurated by the Minister of Defense and Veterans of the Nation, João Ernesto dos Santos, located in the central square of the city of Ondjiva.
The bronze statue is five meters high and four meters long. The sovereign is represented in brownish-black robes and a hat, riding a patini-colored horse, holding a rifle in his right hand and his guard dog at his feet.
The rifle symbolizes the guerrilla against the Portuguese colonist, while the horse with its four legs resting symbolizes territorial possession, and the guard dog sitting as a sign of submission.
It is one of the city’s main business cards. Every day, hundreds of people visit the place to take photographs or learn a little more about the Oukwanhama ruler who reigned from 1911 to 1917.
Biographical references
Born in 1892, in the town of Embulunganga, municipality of Cuanhama, Mandume-ya-Ndemufayo is the son of Ndemufayo-ya-Haihambo and Ndapona-ya-Shikende
The king died on February 6, 1917, in the village of Oihole, municipality of Namacunde, by suicide.
The Oukwanyama reign saw 18 kings, including Kambungo, Musindi Wakanene, Kavanga Kaindongo, Himbili-ya-Aufiko, Weyulu-ya-Edimbe, Nande-ya-Edimbe, Mandume-ya-Ndemufayo, among others.
Of these kings, 12 were buried in the sovereigns’ cemetery, located in Oipembe, close to the city of Ondjiva, of which six were buried in other areas of the municipality, including Mandume, in Oihole.
Currently the kingdom of Oukwanhama is headed by the sovereign Jerónimo Haleingue, enthroned 102 years after Mandume’s death, on February 2, 2019.
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