Placido Hilukilwa
Mirjam Shituula, a retired educationalist and a Swapo Party member who, together with Selma Namboga, challenged the party’s November 2017 congress in the High Court demanding that it be declared unlawful and invalid, celebrated her 70th anniversary this Saturday.
The event at her Oshakati residence, was attended by relatives, former colleagues, friends and well-wishers from all corners of the country.
Prominent among them were Johannes Kandombo of the Ongandjera Traditional Authority and former Chief Regional Officer of Oshana; Reverend Alpo Enkono, former secretary-general of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) and former mayor of Ondangwa Peter Shituula.
Well known florist Loini Haipinge directed the proceedings, while the Oshakati-based Zal’onyati Choir delivered songs that thanked and praised God.
PICTURED: The Zal’onyati Choir performs during the event. Photos: Placido Hilukilwa 
PICTURED: Shituula (right) cutting the birthday cake. Photos: Placido Hilukilwa 
PICTURED: Pastors Alpo Enkono and Justina Haipinge praying for Mirjam Shituula. Photos: Placido Hilukilwa 
PICTURED: Mirjam Shituula turns 70 and hosts a birthday party at Oshakati. Photos: Placido Hilukilwa
Reverend Justina Haipinge said the prayers.
Guests brought a variety of gifts including a cash amount of N$600 which she promptly donated to the Okahao Lutheran parish.
Shituula is originally from Uukwamatsi village near Okahao town in the Omusati Region.
She was described as a deeply religious person and a dedicated Swapo Party cadre who during the pre-independence years mobilized the people to support the liberation movement.
But her name was only brought to prominence in 2018 when she and Namboga challenged the ruling party’s congress.
The court case ended in failure in 2019 when Judge Thomas Masuku dismissed the application and ordered Shituula and Namboga to pay their opponents’ legal costs, a whopping N$750 000.
