UNISA pays tribute to late President Nujoma

By: Selma Taapopi

A memorial service honouring founding President, Dr Sam Nujoma, was held on Wednesday at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria.

UNISA Chancellor and former South African President Thabo Mbeki was in attendance, and President of the Pan-African Parliament, Fortune Charumbira delivered a message on behalf of the Pan-African Parliament.

In her welcoming remarks, UNISA Vice-Chancellor  Puleng LenkaBula  said  Nujoma was selected for the Chancellor’s Calabash Award for 2024.

However, due to Nujoma’s ill health, the University could not present him with the award.

The award was intended to be presented this year, but unfortunately, Nujoma died.

Lenka Bula further stressed the impact of President Nujoma’s life and highlighted how South Africa’s liberation is deeply intertwined with that of the entire continent.

In addition, Mbeki highlighted the collective struggle of African leaders, whom he said fought on multiple fronts to liberate the continent from apartheid.

Mbeki pointed out the  Nama and Herero  genocide under German colonial rule, as well as the massacre in Windhoek’s Old Location, underscoring the challenges Namibia faced during the liberation struggle.

Mbeki emphasised that the country needed a particular type of leadership—one unafraid to confront danger—and Dr. Nujoma embodied this very leadership. Throughout his life, Mbeki remarked, Nujoma became the symbolic face of Namibia’s liberation movement and SWAPO.

Mbeki further stressed that Nujoma’s remarkable stature was not born of personal ambition or a desire for accolades but rather from his unwavering commitment to his country’s freedom. These remarks were made during a memorial service at the University of South Africa, which honoured the legacy of Dr. Nujoma.