Staff Reporter
A FINAL farewell was held at the Parliament Gardens in Windhoek for one of the four authors of the exemplary Namibian Constitution, Ehrenst Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, that passed away in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that has the country firmly in its grip.
Namibia’s Vice President, Nagolo Mbumba on behalf of President Hage Geingob paid the final tribute to a man that was declared a National Hero for his decades-long contribution to the freedom of the country during the struggle for liberation and for his dedication and input in nation-building in the years since independence.
Dr. Geingob described the death of a true son of the soil as a passing of an epoch.
“This is the man I am proudly paying tribute to today. A hero in the true sense, committed, dedicated, and patriotic to the very end,” he said.
The late Ngarikutuke Tjirange will be laid to rest at Heroes Acre on Thursday.
President Geingob’s full tribute to the late Ngarikutuke Tjirange
reads as follows:
Today is a poignant reminder of the passing of an epoch. As we are gathered here to honour the memory of a heroic Son of Namibia, words cannot express the grief we feel. We contemplate the years gone by, the memories he has left us; memories of a dear brother, comrade, and friend whose immeasurable contributions to the struggle for Namibian Independence will be etched in the annals of history. Comrade Ehrenst Ngarikutuke Tjiriange departed life on June 23, 2021, leaving us in a state of mourning and painful reflection. Although the light that emanated from the presence of this acclaimed cadre is extinguished, his imprints on our nation will remain for years to come. Thus, we will ever hold him in grateful remembrance.
Tomorrow, this gallant son will be buried at the hallowed grounds of Heroes’ Acre, a space reserved for our National Heroes, whose courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities have contributed to our freedom. Comrade Tjiriange’s courage in the face of adversity and his outstanding achievements in service to his country, have earned him a place to rest amongst those men and women we call Heroes of Namibia. He chose to forgo his own safety and well-being in order to partake in a perilous and bitter struggle so that today, we live as a united people under the skies of a free and independent Namibia. He did not join the struggle so he could be remembered as a hero. Instead, he chose to do so out of a sense of patriotism and conviction to free himself and his fellow Namibians from the bondage of racism, colonialism, and imperialism.
The conviction that drove stalwarts like Comrade Tjiriange is aptly captured by the late Congolese independence leader and first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, who said, “Without dignity, there is no liberty, without justice there is no dignity, and without independence, there are no free men.” Thanks to heroes such as Comrade Tjiriange, Namibians have banished the ignominy of living under Apartheid colonialism to live as free, independent, and dignified people enjoying peace, unity, liberty, and justice which are the gains of our Liberation Struggle.
Comrade Tjiriange joined SWAPO in the early 1960s in Windhoek before leaving for exile in 1964. Being an individual characterised by high intellect and astuteness, Comrade Tjiriange was one of those who brought a scholarly approach to the struggle by harnessing academic theory and thought into revolutionary action. He was chosen as SWAPO’s Deputy Secretary for Legal and Economic Affairs at the Tanga Consultative Congress in 1969. Later on, he was appointed as Secretary for Legal Affairs in 1976.
He exerted his brain, took deep earnest studious counsel of his mind, and applied himself to the challenges of the Struggle. He thereby established himself as a thinker of note among Comrades. While in exile, Comrade Tjiriange studied law in the Soviet Union, obtaining a doctorate in law from Kiev University in 1973, resulting in him being appointed as the principal legal advisor of SWAPO from the 1970s until Namibia’s independence.
Following SWAPO’s victory in the elections of 1989, Comrade Tjiriange was selected as a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly from November 1989 to March 1990. At independence in 1990, he became a member of the National Assembly, thus becoming one of the founding members of the Namibian Parliament.
Comrade Tjiriange served in the Namibian Cabinet from 1990 to 2010, initially as the founding Minister of Justice, a post he held for thirteen years. Later on, he was also appointed as Attorney General from March 2001 to January 2002. Furthermore, he was appointed as Minister without Portfolio in 2005, and then as Minister of Veterans Affairs upon the creation of the Ministry in 2007.
Comrade Tjiriange was elected at the SWAPO Central Committee in 2002 as the Secretary-General of the SWAPO Party after being nominated by Comrade Sam Nujoma, the Father of the Namibian Revolution. He was a member of SWAPO’s politburo and a permanent member of the party’s Central Committee. Moreover, he served as SWAPO’s Secretary for Environment.
Although he retired from his national duties in September 2009, Comrade Tjiriange remained an active member of the Central Committee and the Secretariat of the SWAPO Party. Therefore, his relevance in public discourse resulted in him remaining in active politics and he was appointed as the Special Adviser to the Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration. Later on, I appointed him as the Special Coordinator on Heritage Sites. I recall my last communication with him was over the Museum being constructed in honour of another hero of Namibia, the Late Chief Hosea Kutako. This is a project that Comrade Tjiriange held dearly to his heart and he was committed to carrying it out with the characteristic vigor and dedication with which he had executed all his duties in service to SWAPO and Namibia.
This is the man I am proudly paying tribute to today. A hero in the true sense, committed, dedicated, and patriotic to the very end.
To Meme Julianne, you have stood by your husband as only a good and loving wife can. To the children, you have exemplified the love of your father during these most trying of times. Hold your heads high and be proud. Carry the pride, resilience, and bravery that your father displayed throughout his life. The mantle is yours to continue the legacy left by this great patriot. To the entire family, take solace in the fact that Comrade Tjiriange lived a life of passion, sacrifice, and purpose.
As I conclude my tribute, I reflect on the words of the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara who said, “The true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.” Indeed, Comrade Tjiriange was guided by love; love for his country, love for his people, and love for his family.
This is the man we honour today. A genuine revolutionary and a Hero of the Republic of Namibia.
Goodbye Dear Comrade, you will be missed but never forgotten.
May the soul of Comrade Ehrenst Ngarikutuke Tjiriange, rest in eternal peace.
