Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA on Monday paid tribute to eight veterans of the liberation struggle whose remains were reburied at Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek, bringing a measure of dignity and closure to families whose loved ones had remained in unmarked graves, displaced or without proper recognition for decades.
The reburial ceremony forms part of the national Heroes’ Day commemorations and will be followed by the unveiling of the veterans’ official tombstones on 26 August.
The homecoming is intended to close a painful chapter in Namibia’s history while restoring the national identity and dignity of those who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle.
The permanent memorials at Heroes’ Acre will also serve as a lasting record of the anti-colonial struggle and preserve the memory of the human cost of Namibia’s freedom for future generations.
The veterans honoured during Monday’s ceremony were Simon Petrus Niilenge, Immanuel Hafeni Shifidi, Festus Nehale, Eliaser Inamutwika Tuhadeleni, also known as Kaxumba Kandola, Brendan Kangongolo Simbwaye, Tobias Hainyeko, Immanuel Gottlieb Ndemulungila Nathaniel Maxuilili and Fillemon Nduuvu Nangolo.
Among those honoured are Brendan Kangongolo Simbwaye and Tobias Hainyeko, whose graves remain unknown. As a result, symbolic graves have been established for them at Heroes’ Acre to ensure their sacrifices are permanently commemorated.
Many of the veterans died during the apartheid era, with some dying in detention or exile, while the whereabouts of others’ original graves remained unknown.
Tobias Hainyeko
Tobias Hainyeko, born on 6 May 1932 and killed on 18 May 1967, was among the early leaders who laid the foundation for Namibia’s liberation struggle.
He became the first commander of the South West Africa Liberation Army (SWALA), later known as PLAN. Hainyeko received military training in Egypt, Algeria and the Soviet Union and helped establish SWAPO’s military training centre at Kongwa, Tanzania.
He was killed in action while crossing the Zambezi River on 18 May 1967. The site where his remains were buried remained unknown.
Eliaser Inamutwika Tuhadeleni (Kaxumba Kandola)
Eliaser Tuhadeleni, born on 1 January 1918, was one of the pioneers of Namibia’s liberation struggle and a founding member of the Ovamboland People’s Organisation (OPO), which later became SWAPO.
He mobilised communities against colonial rule and advocated for workers’ rights through petitions to the United Nations. His home also sheltered early SWALA fighters before the Battle of Omugulugwombashe.
Arrested in 1966, Tuhadeleni became Accused No. 1 in the Pretoria Terrorism Trial and was sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island. He was released in 1985 and died in 1997.
Festus Nehale
Festus Nehale, born on 1 January 1931, was a Namibian freedom fighter who participated in the armed struggle against South African colonial rule through SWALA.
Born at Onathindi in the Oshikoto Region, Nehale was a grandson of King Nehale Iyompingana.
He was arrested in 1966 and later imprisoned on Robben Island, where he died in detention on 4 March 1971.
Simon Petrus ‘Tshekushwama’ Niilenge
Simon Niilenge, born on 12 May 1915, was an early Namibian freedom fighter and SWALA combatant in the armed struggle against South African rule.
Born in Olukuma in Uukwaluudhi, Omusati Region, Niilenge was arrested in 1966 following the Battle of Omugulugwombashe.
He was imprisoned on Robben Island in South Africa, where he died in detention on 8 March 1974.
Brendan Kangongolo Simbwaye
Brendan Simbwaye, born on 20 October 1932, was a teacher and prominent Namibian liberation leader who mobilised communities through the Caprivi African National Union (CANU) in resistance against colonial rule.
He resigned from teaching in 1963 to devote himself fully to the liberation struggle. Arrested in 1964, he was imprisoned in Windhoek and subsequently held in isolation in the Caprivi, Warmbad and Khorixas areas.
In 1970, Simbwaye was charged with terrorism-related offences in a secret trial in Pretoria. He was last seen in 1972 and is believed to have died that year under unclear circumstances. The whereabouts of his original grave remained unknown.
Immanuel Gottlieb Ndemulungila Nathaniel Maxuilili
Immanuel Nathaniel Maxuilili, born on 10 October 1927, was a prominent nationalist leader and freedom fighter.
He joined OPO in 1959 and served as SWAPO’s acting president inside Namibia from 1960 to 1989. He was imprisoned in 1966 and later placed under house arrest in Walvis Bay, but remained committed to Namibia’s liberation.
After independence, Maxuilili contributed to the drafting of Namibia’s Constitution and served in the National Assembly until his death on 23 June 1999.
Fillemon Nduuvu Nangolo
Fillemon Nduuvu Nangolo, born on 12 April 1951, hailed from Oshaandjela Village in the present-day Oshana Region.
In 1974, he left Namibia and joined PLAN in Zambia, where he received military training at Oshatotwa. He was deployed to Namibia in 1975 to fight against South African forces.
Nangolo was later among a group of 100 volunteers sent to Angola to open a new front before being deployed back to Namibia.
He was captured after being severely wounded on 19 April 1976. He was charged, sentenced to death and executed in Windhoek on 30 May 1977.
He was the only freedom fighter to be sentenced to death and executed during the liberation struggle.
Immanuel Hafeni Shifidi
Immanuel Shifidi, born on 16 July 1929, was a prominent figure in Namibia’s struggle for liberation.
He participated in the Battle of Omugulugwombashe on 26 August 1966 and was subsequently arrested, tortured and convicted under the apartheid regime’s Terrorism Act.
Shifidi was sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island, where he spent 16 years before being released in 1985 and returning to Namibia.
He was assassinated at a peaceful SWAPO rally in Katutura on 30 November 1986.
The reburial of the veterans comes as Namibia commemorates Heroes’ Day on 26 August under the theme “Built on Bravery, Bound for a Prosperous Future”, with the nation reflecting on the sacrifices made to secure independence and preserving the legacy of those who fought for freedom.
Photos: Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture
