KATIMA MULILO, Aug. 26 – Namibia’s 35th Heroes Day was commemorated in the Zambezi Region on Tuesday with a fiery call from President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah: guard your hard-won freedom, or risk betraying it through corruption and division.
The event carried a heavy sense of history. For the first time, the Heroes Day stage was without the towering presence of Founding President Sam Nujoma. “His seat is now empty forever,” Nandi-Ndaitwah told thousands of attendees, her voice tinged with emotion. “May his legacy continue to guide us in carrying out our national responsibilities.”
She announced that symbolic graves will soon be erected at Heroes Acre for two fallen liberation giants — Brendan Simbwaye and Tobias Hainyeko a gesture she said was long overdue.
But the President’s sharpest words were aimed not at the past, but at the present. “Corruption is treason,” she declared to loud applause. “It is a betrayal of trust, as it takes away resources meant for the people.” She warned that if Namibia fails to fight corruption and build unity, “we are on a crusade for self-destruction.”
The crowd, a mix of war veterans, schoolchildren, and traditional leaders, listened attentively as she challenged Namibians to live by the spirit of “One Namibia, One Nation.”
“Peace must be preserved at all cost,” she urged, noting that true heroism today lies in protecting the country’s unity and ensuring prosperity reaches every corner.
As cultural performers closed the ceremony, the message was clear: Namibia’s heroes fought with bullets, but the current generation must fight with integrity.
