Staff Reporter
THE SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL) has paid tribute to veteran liberation struggle activist and founding SWAPO member Kanana Hishoono, who passed away at the Ondangwa Private Hospital in the Oshana Region. He was 89 years old.
In a statement issued by the SPYL described Hishoono as a fearless freedom fighter and a foundational pillar of the SWAPO Party whose legacy is firmly etched in Namibia’s liberation history.
The youth league said Hishoono played a significant role in shaping the movement from its early days, having been a founding member of SWAPO and the party’s first branch secretary in Tsumeb. He later served as secretary of the SWAPO Party Elders’ Council, a position through which he continued to guide and uphold the party’s values of solidarity, freedom and justice.
SPYL further highlighted Hishoono’s historic role in recruiting and signing up the late President Hage Geingob as a SWAPO Party member in 1962, noting that he also served as a close friend and political adviser to the former head of state. According to the youth league, his wisdom and counsel contributed meaningfully to the leadership and direction of independent Namibia.
Describing him as a “living library of the revolution”, SPYL said Hishoono remained a guardian of the party’s history and principles until his final days, offering guidance particularly to younger generations.
The youth league extended its heartfelt condolences to Hishoono’s wife, children, family and friends, saying his passing is a profound loss not only to his family but also to the broader SWAPO Party membership.
SPYL concluded by calling on Namibians, especially the youth, to draw inspiration from Hishoono’s revolutionary spirit and lifelong dedication to the struggle for freedom and justice.
Photo: SWAPO Party of Namibia
