What was going on in my mind during this year independence celebration?
By Sioni Aluta Iileka

Our 20th celebration kicked off at highest note. The celebration started with many programs including public lectures that lead to the main celebration on the 21st March 2010. The lectures according to what has been written in various print Medias and broadcasted through our national broadcaster, Namibia Broadcasting Cooperation were well thought-out and extraordinarily educative. The attendance was also overwhelming. Most of the people who were proposed to give these lectures are in a know and I regard them with high esteems. Some are our cadres whom we entrust with public offices. A handful of appreciation must go to the organizers of these events. Not only lectures that were on stocks for this year’s independence celebration, but the program were equipped with different activities, in other words it was a busy road to the celebration. The artists, boxers, historians, commentators, narrators and so on were all lined up to keep the nation’ spirit high. It was really mesmerizing and fascinating.

Our national broadcaster, NBC made sure that every second of a minute is utilized. The NBC really deserve credit this time around. To me this alone worth paying a TV license. It was interesting to listen to different programs talking about the boulevard to our independence. Interesting enough, on the celebration day as for the interests of the nation, NBC televised the whole official program of the day. In the morning they started with the GMN show- that in the begging I used to think it was a German show, only later to learn that it was obviously a GMN, an abbreviation for Good Morning Namibia. The presenter kept the whole program of GMN show rocking and honey. NBC thought it necessary to find for us some political analysts, commentators and scholars to open up things as they are unfolding at our Independence Stadium. A stadium where our Namibian flag was hoisted for the first time in an independent Namibia and the South African flag lowered. A stadium where our Founding Father of the nation; and of the Namibian Revolution, His Excellency Cde. Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma gave his first superb speech as a first President of the new Republic of Namibia. A stadium that saw a sad Botha standing in anger of defeat and said it was eleven (11) minutes passed after the Namibian independence. NBC must be commented for broadcasting all events took place on the build up of this year’s independence celebration, the inauguration of the man of the people, the President of all Namibian people including those proscribing the results of last year’s National and Presidential election and subsequently boycotting the National Assembly, His Excellency Cde. Hifikepunye Lukas Pohamba, the President of the Republic of Namibia and of the SWAPO Party; and the announcements of the new cabinet.

Now a question is: what was going on in my mind during this year’s Independence celebration? Perhaps before I attempt to say something about the question, I must state that this year was the first year in my life to celebrate our independence anniversary in front of the TV. Usually I go out to attend the celebration. I watched the attention-grabbing proceedings with many thinking going around in my mind. Hilariously, as I saw our Speaker of the National Assembly and other Protocols receiving Heads of States and Governments, former Head of States and Governments from the SADC region and elsewhere in Africa, I started thinking about the solidarities, philanthropy and humanity that existed amongst African leaders during our struggle for liberation. Obviously, when our leaders are coming together at big events like this symbolizes unity of purpose despite the divisive forces of regime change in Southern Africa. It also boom up our mutual moral as nations of SADC and of Africa in general. When I saw Martih Ahtisaari I started thinking about the roles that the United Nation played in our struggle and the total achievement of our freedom. When I heard of a special representative from Cuba, my mind ran to the generosity and munificence of the Cuban people.

As I was busy thinking my mind shifted to some poignant and heartrending parts of our history. I started thinking about how Namibian people were brutally beaten, houses and Mahangu fields destroyed and people shocked with electricity. I started thinking about one day while we were on the way back home from school about six Carspirs showed up full of SA soldiers most of them are Blacks (omakakunya) and few Whites (onalunanga). That day we were traumatized as the SWATF soldiers asked us about the whereabouts of the terrorists. Note that our brothers and sisters where called terrorists in their motherland. When we unanimously said we don’t know what they are talking about and denied to receive the tins of food they wanted to give us, they started to beat us. That time I was just five (5) years as I started a pre-primary school very young. The fellow elder kids were forced to get into the Caspirs and they drove off with them. I and three other boys were so young and helpless. According to what these fellow kids told the parents, apparently shortly after they drove away, the soldiers started asking them (kids) if their parents use to accommodate or help the terrorists. Thanks to the kids of our time that we were so disciplined and do not just say things at random. No one of these kids say anything until the Kovoet decided to bring those (kids) back to where they picked them up. The three of us were so confused and decided to stay where our fellows were rounded and taken away, so when they came back they find us exactly where they left us. I started to think about the Cassinga attack, where many children and women were killed by the notorious and apartheid SA regime.

Many things were really happening in my mind. I remember about our lovely brothers and sisters, not to mention about our fathers and mothers, uncles and cousins who died in the struggle, their blood waters our freedom. I remember about eight (8) relatives of mine massacred by South African soldiers at Oshikuku. What is so gloomy about this case is the horrific publication by somebody who now tries to imply that these people were killed by SWAPO while in reality the people were killed by Kovoet. I remember how my grandmother used to help our PLAN fighters. I remember how my grandmother saved one of our village men who was hunted down and seriously beaten by Kovoet. She took a risk of going to ask the Kovoet to leave the man and she told them the man was her son. The young men was chased by four (4) caspirs, just a young men who was sent somewhere by his parent, unarmed and they beat him so deadly. I remember a day just after one day my grandfather came home from CDM as it was known by that time, while he was busy cleaning with a rake around the homestead the SA soldiers came and accused him of cleaning off the PLAN fighters’ foot prints. They wanted to beat him and my grandfather drew a circle around him and told them (Kovoet) that whoever try to close the line he is going to beat him with the sharp end of the rake. I remember how Kovoet used to fly their plain lower to terrify people. I remember how the aggressive Kovoet approached us one day when I and my uncle were looking after our herds of cattle and they beat my uncle and I was told to look down. I remember the tragedy of 1st April 1989 and many twisted stories going around, written by some of the Eurocentric Medias and organizations about this tragedy.

Despite all these, thanks to the Messiah of Namibia, His Excellency Cde. Dr. Sam Nujoma. This man is not just the Founding Father of the Namibian nation, but he is also the Father of the national reconciliation policy. When he took office on the 21st March 1990 as a Namibian President he first tried very harder to make surer that those that perpetuated the untold and countless atrocities to the Namibian nation are forgiven and former enemies shake hands and make friends. Perceptibly, I believe that this was a toughest exercise of other toughest exercises that Cde. Nujoma undertook with success. The dear policy of national reconciliation kept us together for the passed 20 years of our independence and it will lucratively bond us together in future. Remember, this precious policy was not brought about for us to forget but for us to forgive one another, as we are one, we are brothers and sisters and above all we are all Namibians.

There comes now a buoyant moment in my life time, the great moments in our history, the moment to listen to the speech of our charming, dazzling and indeed our down to earth President, His Excellency Cde. Hifikepunye Pohamba. The speech that was delivered to the amusements, many nodes in agreements and a water clear smiles on the faces of the dignitaries and our friends from all walks of life who flocked to our country to celebrate together with us. When the camera women (I believe this time was a woman in charge of cameras) focused her camera at the publics who I believe most if not all are peace loving Namibian and none sabotages, their faces were so shinning like the stars of the galaxy on an open and clear sky of spring night. Back to me here home I shed some mil litters of tears of ecstasy. Our President gave a consolidating, a nation building and a focused speech that all of us as a nation must regard as one of our guiding paraphernalia to guide us in the way to accomplish Vision 2030. Our statesman, Cde. Pohamba is a precious fountain of wisdoms, acumens and determinations. He is aspired just like most of us by the valor deeds of our great man, the Moses of Namibia, the Messiah of this nation, Cde. Dr. Nujoma. Note one thing Cde. Dr. Nujoma was selected amongst the hefty numbers of great man by our Almighty God to lead this great nation to a promised destine, the independence. Cde. Dr Nujoma listened to the call with all vigor and determinations and said: yes God I will do all you ask me to do. He did that without failures; undeniably a mission accomplished.

On the ultimate psychiatry, after the whole day of celebrating our twenties anniversary, I learned some few things. I learnt that it is true that nothing good in life can come from a silver platter. I learnt that everything got a beginning and an ends. I learnt that there is time to sow and time to harvest, the time of sorrow and time of happiness. Therefore, the brutality, barbaric beating and harsher colonial that our nation exposed to at the hands of Malan, Vorster and other (I know for sure we forgive them) is now over and we are now an everlastingly happy nation. We are now cherishing the fruit of our independence as a nation. A nation that is united under the banner of one Namibia, one nation and we are proud to have a governing party, the Mighty SWAPO Party a party in government that can listen to the aspirations of the people. A nation united for a collective purpose of sustainable developments, economic emancipation, rule of law and justice for all. We sloganeering long live Namibia. Look at the sky, the sky is smiling at our nation. Listen to the birds singing the appreciation songs to our SWAPO Party government. Look at the trees dancing to the determination of our leaders. All I say is May the Lord Jesus prepare a basket full of blessings to shower this nation. Long live Namibia, long lives our nation, long live Cde. Nujoma, long live Cde. Pohamba, long live Cde. Toivo ya Toivo, long live Cde. Geingob, long live Cde. Ithana, long live Cde. Mbumba, long live Cde. Nahas Angula and long live my Camaraderie Ngurare.

Aluta Continua
Cde. Sioni Aluta Iikela
SPYL proud member