BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – His Majesty King Mswati III has lost a father figure in Namibia’s founding president Dr Sam Nujoma.
This was said by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thulisile Dladla upon return from Namibia on March 2, 2025. Dladla has been part of African and world leaders, who were part of Dr Nujoma’s funeral. Dladla said the king had regarded Nujoma as a father, hence he told the Eswatini delegation to inform the Namibian Government that the king was deeply saddened by Nujoma’s death, as he felt he had lost a father.
Dladla told Eswatini TV that the king learnt many values from Nujoma, especially the one of patience. She said they were told that Nujoma used to tell his people that patience was a good value in leadership. Dladla said they were told that when the king went to Namibia, Nujoma would wake him up early in the morning for a hunting expedition.
The DPM said this act would not be fully understood at the time, but as days went on, they would learn that actually, Nujoma was teaching the king that he had to be patient with his people, as he led them. The DPM described Nujoma as a hero, who fought for the independence of Namibia. Dladla said most of the freedom fighters had a Royal blood in them.
In Dladla’s understanding, this means there was something big that was hidden in royalty. She even made another example about former South Africa’s President Nelson Mandela, stating that he was also from royalty. It should also be stated that another renowned South African freedom fighter and former South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, is also on record, stating that his family is royalty in parts of the KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa.
Thulisile Dladla was accompanied by Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bongani Nzima to Nujoma’s funeral.
The two went to Namibia on February 27, 2025 to represent His Majesty King Mswati III and the entire Eswatini nation. The funeral took place on March 1, 2025, after a memorial ceremony a day earlier. The DPM’s delegation arrived in Namibia through the Hosea Kutako International Airport, which is just outside Namibia.
Upon arrival, Dladla and her delegation were welcomed by Eswatini’s High Commissioner to South Africa Lindiwe Kunene and Eswatini’s Honourary Consulate to Namibia Mumcy Dambi. Nujoma died on February 8, 2025.
The first president of independent Namibia, Sam Nujoma, has died at the age of 95 in the capital Windhoek, the country’s current leader has announced.
Nujoma led the long fight for independence from South Africa in 1990 after helping found Namibia’s liberation movement known as the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) in the 1960s.
After independence, Nujoma became president in 1990 and led the country until 2005.
