KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY DR

Transcription

1 KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY DR. SAM NUJOMA, FOUNDING PRESIDENT AND FATHER OF THE NAMIBIAN NATION, ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCHING OF THE BOOK MUKWAHEPO WOMAN, SOLDIER, MOTHER AS TOLD TO ELLEN NDESHI NAMHILA UNAM MAIN CAMPUS WINDHOEK 17 OCTOBER 2013 *Check Against Delivery 0 P age

2 Director of Ceremonies; Esteemed Comrade Mukwanangobe Aguste yaimmanuel, affectionately known as Meekulu Mukwahepo ; Honourable Dr. Nickey Iyambo, Minister of Veterans Affairs; Honourable Nangolo Mbumba, Secretary General of the SWAPO Party; Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers present; Honourable Members of Parliament present; Professor Filemon Amaambo, Chairperson of the University of Namibia Council; Professor Lazarus Hangula, Vice Chancellor of the University of Namibia; Professor Osmund Mwandembele, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research; Dr. Boniface Mutumba, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance; Comrade Ellen Namhila, UNAM Librarian and Distinguished Members of the University Management and Senate; Distinguished Professors, Lecturers and all University Staff Members; Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Distinguished Veterans of the Liberation Struggle; SRC President and all UNAM Students present; Distinguished Invited Guests; Members of the Media; Ladies and Gentlemen: 1 P age

3 I am delighted to have been invited to officially launch the book Mukwahepo woman, soldier, mother, the story of the first woman to undergo military training with SWAPO, as told to the UNAM Librarian, Comrade Ellen Ndeshi Namhila. Just a few weeks ago, I had the singular honour and privilege of launching the Stakeholders Consultation Workshop on Trauma and Counselling to Veterans of the National Liberation Struggle, here in Windhoek. This was also a seminal development in the quest for the proper documentation and recording of the liberation struggle, as well as the effects of the war on our Veterans in particular, and the citizenry in general. On that occasion I said, and I wish to repeat it here, that I am indeed touched by the commitment, interest, and dedication shown towards the successful implementation of service delivery to our veterans of the liberation struggle, done by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and our Government in general. 2 P age

4 It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the tone and tenor running through this event today is geared to changing the way we have been dealing with the issues related to veterans of the liberation struggle. Against this background, and cognisant of the important and remarkable milestones laid by Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo in particular and the women in general during the liberation struggle, Comrade Ellen Ndeshi Namhila assisted Mukwahepo in documenting her life story. Comrade Ellen Ndeshi Namhila s work started when she was researching the life of Comrade Tuhadeleni, better known as Kaxumba kandola. She is the author of the biography of Kaxumba kandola, A Barefoot Soldier. She got caught up in a web which inadvertently led to the discovery of the unknown history of five women related to the legends of our struggle. Their stories were written by Ellen Namhila in her book Tears of Courage Five Mothers, Five Stories, One Victory. Reading the life story of Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo, takes us down memory lane. 3 P age

5 Indeed, as I was reading the life story of Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo, it reminded me how the Namibian women have shown resilience in the face of enormous challenges and how they sacrificed so much for our freedom and independence when they not only fed, clothed and hid our freedom fighters but also provided vital information on the movement and whereabouts of the enemy troops to the combatants of the People s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), SWAPO s Military Wing. We indeed owe it to this heroine, and all other women who made similar sacrifices, to record their stories and experiences and show that their sacrifices were not in vain. In this regard, we thank Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo for sharing her story the ordeals and triumphs of a true heroine of our struggle as recognised when she was conferred a medal in 1995 at Omugulu-gwoMbashe. Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo journeyed into exile to join the struggle in 1963 and met other Comrades such as Tobias Hainyeko, Peter Nanyemba, Peter Mweshihange, Peter Katjavivi, Eliander Mwatale, Mosé Tjitendero, Vinia Ndadi, Putuse Appolus, Libertina Amathila, Nicky Iyambo, Nangolo Iithete, Homateni Kalwenya, 4 P age

6 Agustus Nghaamwa popularly known by his combat name as McNamara, and Julius Shilongo known by his combat name as Kashuku, among others. She became the first woman to be trained with SWAPO at Kongwa Military Training Camp in Tanzania together with other Comrades, including those who were in the G1 group led by Commander John yaotto Nankudhu the first group that crossed back into Namibia to engage the South African occupation forces. Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo also knew the group of Volunteers who opened the new Front before Angola s Independence. Director of Ceremonies; You can imagine how hard and difficult it was for Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo as the first and only woman among men at Kongwa Military Training Camp in 1965, where she remained for 9 years until She also spent time in Mbeya transit camp to receive SWAPO fighters who had been trained and were on their way to Zambia, to cross into Namibia and engage the enemy occupation forces. 5 P age

7 I first met Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo in 1964 at Leopoldville in the Congo presently DRC and facilitated her transit to the then Tanganyika now Tanzania through our SWAPO s Representative in Congo and Comrade Hifikepunye Pohamba who was at that time our Representative in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia. Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo refers to this in her book. Indeed, we were able to help her on the final leg of her long journey from Namibia, through Angola, Cabinda and the Congo. The difficulties Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo encountered reflect the difficulties we faced in those days. As you can see, it was not easy to launch the Armed Liberation Struggle. In all instances, whether it was the question of arms for the armed struggle or equipment for our health and education centres, we relied on initial support from our friends in other African countries and the rest of the international community. But the difficulties were accepted. It was part of the challenge. We had to make use of the limited resources at our disposal. This did not deter Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo or others from getting on with the struggle for national liberation. 6 P age

8 Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo was a committed cadre. Initially, women were not allowed at the front, and it was part of SWAPO s mission to advance the fact that women had an important role to play, and our male comrades were sensitized to the fact that we had to open up and allow the women to fully participate in the war of liberation. This took quite a while but eventually it became part of the culture of SWAPO and women played their part in the armed liberation struggle, along with their male comrades. We thus thank Comrade Ellen Namhila for her arduous research and hard work in researching into the life of Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo. This meant reliving some of her own personal experience, including the loss of people close to her. Comrade Ellen Namhila was also part of the exiled Namibian community. She is one of those who joined the liberation struggle at a very young age. She has written her own autobiography as well, called The Price of Freedom. 7 P age

9 She understands the experience of Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo, a compassionate woman who, when confronted by the challenges of the liberation struggle, gave herself for the cause, and served in the different roles to which she was assigned. Apart from being the first woman to be trained militarily by SWAPO, Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo was later assigned to look after our children who left Namibia in the mid-1970s to escape the oppression of the South African occupation regime. In particular, Meekulu Mukwahepo will be remembered for the care she gave those children of the young freedom fighters who went for further studies. No one can question Comrade Meekulu Mukwahepo s sense of devotion and care. One hopes that those who were left in her care, who are now grown up men and women, will at least remember her for the contribution and dedication Meekulu Mukwahepo had made during the national liberation struggle. 8 P age

10 We have just concluded the first phase of the struggle with the attainment of our genuine independence on the 21 st March We should now embark upon the second phase of the struggle for economic independence. I therefore call upon our youth to study hard as there is now no excuse. The Government has opened up educational opportunities for the youth, with the establishment of UNAM that now includes the School of Medicine and a Faculty of Science and Engineering, and the Polytechnic of Namibia. I further call upon our youth to study mathematics and science subjects so that we can enhance the development of Namibia s human resources and in order for them to become our future medical doctors, engineers, agriculturalists, chattered accountants, marine biologists, teachers, nurses and other dedicated professionals who will lead our country into the next Millenium. In conclusion, I challenge other veterans of the liberation struggle to write their life stories in order for them to be documented for future generations. 9 P age

11 With these few words, it is now my distinct pleasure and honour to declare the book Mukwahepo Woman, Soldier, Mother officially launched. I thank you. 10 P age