Africa-Press – Namibia. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Namibians to defend and strengthen the country’s democracy.
He said the legacy of founding National Assembly Speaker Mose Tjitendero must guide future generations.
She was speaking at Heroes Acre on Sunday during the 20th commemoration of Tjitendero’s passing, alongside former president Nangolo Mbumba and other leaders.
Nandi-Ndaitwah described Tjitendero as a “towering figure”, whose work continues to shape Namibia’s democratic institutions.
“We gather not merely to mark the passage of time, but to honour a life that continues to echo through the institutions, values and democratic spirit of our republic,” she said.
She said Tjitendero played a central role in building Parliament after independence and helped lay the foundation for democratic governance.
“In presiding over the First National Assembly, Cde Dr Tjitendero laid the foundation for Namibia’s democratic governance.
He championed transparency, inclusivity, accountability and the rule of law,” the President said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah added that his leadership came at a difficult time when the country was emerging from a divided past.
“One can only marvel at the discipline, steadiness and depth of character required to preside over such a chamber… yet, to do so with dignity, calm authority and unwavering fairness,” she said.
She urged young people to follow his example.
“Let us emulate his discipline, intellectual curiosity and patriotism… It is through our actions… that we truly honour his memory,” she said.
Former president Mbumba said Namibia did not only lose a leader, but a symbol of courage and intellect.
“Twenty years ago, Namibia lost… an irreplaceable luminary who encapsulated youthful gallantry, discipline and unwavering valour,” he said.
He added that Tjitendero’s legacy goes beyond material wealth.
“They have left us more than any material wealth can buy.
They have left us freedom, independence and a sense of identity,” Mbumba said.
Mbumba noted that Tjitendero helped shape Namibia’s governance system even before independence through planning and training future leaders.
“Through patriotic duty he left his indelible prints on the foundations of our governance architecture, which continues to shape our communities today,” he said. Speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said Tjitendero’s leadership strengthened democratic structures.
“The establishment of the National Council in 1993 expanded the architecture of Namibia’s democratic governance system, creating a second chamber that brought regional representation into the national legislature,” she said.
She added that these developments were deliberate efforts to build inclusive governance.
“These were not routine legislative milestones… they reflected a deliberate effort… to build institutions that were inclusive, accountable and responsive to the full breadth of Namibian society,” she said.
Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani said Tjitendero also invested in people who would sustain democracy.
“He understood that a democracy is only as strong as the quality of those who serve it,” Venaani said.
He also raised concern about the lack of documentation of Namibia’s history.
“Things that we don’t do in this country is to write our history, to write the role and the work that was done in the building of our democracy,” he said.
Tjitendero served as Namibia’s first Speaker of the National Assembly from 1990 to 2004, helping guide the country through its early years of independence.
Speakers at the commemoration agreed that his legacy remains visible in Namibia’s institutions and governance systems today.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the responsibility now lies with current and future leaders to protect that legacy.
“As we commemorate this solemn occasion… it is our responsibility to preserve this legacy and inspire future generations with the example set by Dr Tjitendero,” she said.
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