Dear Editor,
Sam Nujoma, the first President of Independent Namibia, passed away on February 8, 2025. He was ninety-five years old.
Nujoma belonged to that group of anti-colonial fighters that arose at the end of the Second World War. He was one of the outstanding leaders of Southern Africa. He stood alongside revolutionaries of the calibre of Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Joshau Nkomo, Robert Mugabe, Amilcar Cabral, Agostino Neto, among others and was a great friend of Dr Cheddi Jagan.
Sam Nujoma was a founding member of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) in 1960. Shortly thereafter he launched an armed struggle against the Apartheid regime of South Africa for independence after the United Nations withdrew the mandate of South Africa to Govern Namibia.
That struggle was won and in 1990 and Nujoma became the first President of his free country. He held that position until 2005 when he demitted office.
During his struggles the PPP and SWAPO forged close relations giving solidarity to each other’s struggle. Later he forged close relations with the PNC and Mr. Burnham after the PNC government provided financial support of the Southern African Liberation Movement in the 1980s. He visited Guyana in 1994 to express his thanks for the support that he received from Guyana during the independence war.
Nujoma was one of those anti-colonial leaders that was very respected by freedom fighters throughout the world. He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union, the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize by India and the Ho Chi Mink Peace Prize by Vietnam.
At this time we bow our heads in honour of a towering figure in the Anti-Colonial, Anti-Imperialist Freedom struggles of our world.
Sincerely,
Former President
Donald Ramotar
