Schimming-Chase buried at Farm De Rust

WINDHOEK, 17 MAR –Hundreds of Namibians of all walks of life turned up at Farm De Rust, some 40 kilometres west of Rehoboth in the Hardap Region, for the funeral of Nora Schimming-Chase on Saturday.
President Hage Geingob, First Lady Monica Geingos, Prime Minster Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Speaker of the National Assembly Peter Katjavivi, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) President, McHenry Venaani as well as several foreign diplomats residing in Namibia were among those who braved the hot sun to pay their last respect.
During the ceremony, Schimming-Chase was honoured with a 17-gun-salute by the members of the Namibian Defence Force as the casket carrying her remains was lowered to her final resting place.
Speaking before the burial, President Geingob called upon all Namibians, irrespective of political affiliations to continue to respect and emulate the legacy and work done by the late Schimming-Chase.
“The late Ambassador Nora Schimming-Chase chose to come back home and be buried alongside her parents and grandparents at this farm. Let us all Namibians respect her wishes,”Geingob told the mourners.
The President then appealed to Namibians to remain united in the spirit of the Government’s initiatives of the Harambee Prosperity Plan and to pull together all the necessary resources and efforts to help improve the living conditions of all people and fight for better socio-economic development of the country.
Several speakers at her memorial service held at Parliament Gardens in the capital on Friday, said the late Nora Schimming-Chase belonged to a rare breed of leaders with innate capacities of diplomacy and intellect that helped shape the path towards Namibia’s independence.
During her distinguished lifetime, the late politician served Namibia in an array of capacities until her last breath and sacrificed her personal comfort for Namibia’s independence.
She is remembered as a born fighter alongside other “gallant daughters” such as Libertina Amathila who dared to dream of a free Namibia.
Schimming-Chase died on Tuesday in the Paramount Private Hospital in Windhoek, aged 77, after a long illness.
She is survived by three children, two grandchildren and one sibling.

NAMPA