All Namibia News’ Post

Throwback: Q&A: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah: This question-and-answer session was published by Swapo Today in 2022 to provide insight into the political journey of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (NNN). ST: Who exactly is Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah? NNN: The vice president of Swapo is Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, born as Ndempelila Netumbo Nandi. Ndaitwah came after I got married. I am the ninth child of 13 siblings, born in the north of Namibia at a village called Onamutai, now in the Oshana region’s Ongwediva constituency. I was born from a family of peasants, while my upbringing was a mix of culture and religion, because even though my father was a clergyman of the Anglican Church, he never parted from culture. For example, for any Namibian man in that particular community, if there were to be anything that would have to be celebrated, we would organise a feast at the end of the season, when your cattle herders come back home. Now with the advent of Christianity, some of these traditions were found to be non-Christian, but while still a clergyman, my father always insisted on appreciating our people in that manner regardless. Another tradition that was also condemned by Christianity was traditional marriages, but my father always insisted that his children must know their culture, so we were always allowed to balance as a result. Growing up, political activities were also never far from our community. In fact, Ohalushu and Endola are neighbouring villages, so as we were growing up, we would see Swapo activities organised by the likes of comrade Kaxuumba Kandola. They would mobilise in our communities, having meetings in the shade of big trees on Sundays after church, where we would attend and participate. The slogan and driving motto of that time in Oshiwambo was ‘Kwayela Kwasha’, loosely translated as ‘it has dawned’, and we should all wake up to see what was coming. These are some Swapo activities that attracted and inspired us, until I finally got my membership card in 1966. At the time I was a pupil at St Mary’s Mission, Odibo School, where I received much of my primary and secondary education. Between 1969 and 1970, when the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) was established at the Tanga Consultative Conference, we got the message back home, and as young people of Namibia, we began to be activists. This was indeed the time I was then given the responsibility by my colleagues to be the chairperson of the SPYL in Owamboland, a position I held until I left. Once, during the workers’ strike, we were very active and organised young people in the north, supported by our comrades at Walvis Bay: Ndali Kamati, Jerry Ekandjo and others. Ongulugombashe also added some impetus, as well as the events that occurred at Oshikango. We were very strategic, and so when we were addressing our meetings, we knew that whoever was going to be the speaker on that particular day was not…

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