Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s founding president, was laid to rest at the National Heroes Acre in Windhoek on March 1, 2025.
Nujoma, who passed away on February 8, 2025, at the age of 95, was celebrated for his pivotal role in Namibia’s liberation from apartheid South Africa and his enduring legacy as a symbol of freedom and unity.
A memorial service was held on February 28, 2025, at the Independence Stadium, where several dignitaries, including Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, gathered to honour Nujoma’s contributions to the nation and the continent.
Among the mourners were Nujoma’s widow, Theopoldine Nujoma, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
The burial ceremony saw the presence of numerous African leaders and former heads of state, including President Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Thabo Mbeki and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Joseph Kabila of the Congo, Ian Khama of Botswana, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola, Vice President Philip Mpango of Tanzania, and Prime Minister Samuel Matekane of Lesotho.Latest Samsung A06 128GB, 4GB now available: $106
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Namibia had declared a 21-day mourning period, with flags flown at half-staff. Nujoma’s casket, draped in the Namibian flag and inscribed with the title “Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation,” was lowered into the mausoleum at Heroes’ Acre, accompanied by a 21-gun salute and a flypast by the Namibian Air Force.
Nujoma was the last of a remarkable generation of African leaders who guided their nations to independence from colonial or apartheid rule.
This cohort included Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Samora Machel of Mozambique, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia.
Namibia’s current president, Nangolo Mbumba, described Nujoma as an extraordinary human being, underscoring his profound impact on the nation’s history and identity. Said Mbumba:
Who else could rise from the humble dwellings of Etunda to lead a nation to independence? Who else could traverse from a dusty village to the hallways of the United Nations? Who else could rise from relative obscurity and end up rubbing shoulders with some of the most iconic leaders of the 20th century? Only an extraordinary human being could achieve such feats.
Nujoma served three terms as president from 1990 to 2005. He is survived by three siblings, a wife, two sons, 24 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
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