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Cuba pays posthumous tribute to Doctor Sam Nujoma, the Founding Father of Namibia. The tribute was led at the Palace of the Revolution by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
A profound gratitude from the national leadership of the SWAPO and the Namibian people to the Cuban people, “for always standing by us during the most difficult times,” was conveyed by His Excellency Samuel Gôagoseb, Ambassador of Namibia to Cuba, during the posthumous tribute to Sam Nujoma, the founding father and first president of that sister nation.
The tribute to the African leader, taken as a moral obligation by the Cuban people, was held at the Palace of the Revolution, led by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
Members of the Political Bureau were present, including Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister; Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee; Salvador Valdés Mesa, Vice President of the Republic, and also ministers Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Relations, and General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, Minister of the Interior.
Along with members of the Embassy of Namibia in Cuba, other leaders from the Party, the Government, the UJC, mass organizations, FAR, MININT, and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples attended. The well-deserved tribute “to this giant of universal history, an icon of Africa’s struggle against colonialism and apartheid, tireless fighter against oppression and inequality, and dear friend of the Cubans,” was guided by his friendship with Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz. A friendship that became a symbol of the unbreakable bonds that unite both peoples.
In a speech marked by deep feelings of loss and reverence, Ambassador Samuel Gôagoseb emphasized that this event honoured the life and legacy “of a man who was not only the founding father of Namibia but also a beacon of hope for all who fight for freedom and justice.” When a pioneer dies, he said, “it is not just the loss of an individual, but the closing of a chapter in history. However, it is also a reminder of the enduring power of his vision and the responsibility we have to uphold his legacy. A pioneer plants the seeds of a better future, and even though he no longer walks among us on earth, his dreams continue to grow in the hearts of those he inspired.”
After a journey through Nujoma’s life and leadership in “the defining stages of Namibia’s history that shaped the political consciousness of resistance to colonialism and imperialism,” Gôagoseb recalled how the bonds of friendship between the liberation movements of Southern Africa and the Cuban people were forged, and the strong connection between Nujoma and Fidel.
He made special mention of the assistance of the small contingent of brave Cuban internationalists, stationed 16 kilometres away, during the massacre perpetrated by South African racists in Casinga, Angola, when more than 800 Namibian women, children, and elderly people were killed.
“As we bid farewell to Dr. Sam Nujoma,” the Ambassador expressed, “let us honour his memory and continue to defend the values he fought for. Let us fight for a world in which justice, equality, and solidarity prevail. Let us strengthen the bonds of friendship between Namibia and Cuba, ensuring that future generations inherit a legacy of cooperation and mutual support.”
In his speech at the tribute, Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa recalled that “Dr. Sam Nujoma became one of the greatest symbols of African resistance of all time.”
The founding of the SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organization) by Nujoma, along with other Namibian patriots, in 1960, he reminded, “was a response to years of segregation and accumulated frustration and expressed the fervent desire for freedom of a wounded and humiliated nation.” “The SWAPO,” he emphasized, “did not only fight in Namibian territory for its independence.”
In the 1980s, the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola marked a turning point. Cuban internationalist forces, together with Namibian and Angolan fighters, achieved a decisive victory against the South African army. This victory not only changed the course of the war in Angola but also paved the way for Namibia’s independence.”
“Finally, on March 21, 1990, Namibia raised its flag for the first time as an independent nation. Sam Nujoma, the man who had dedicated his life to this cause, became the country’s first president. His election was not only a recognition of his leadership but also a demonstration of the trust his people had in him,” he underlined.
Recalling the deep friendship between him and Fidel, he remembered that the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution “admired his tenacity and his ability to lead in the most difficult moments, and Nujoma, for his part, saw in our Commander-in-Chief a role model, a guide who never failed him.”
“Together, they shared not only strategies and projects but also the hopes for a free Africa, a sovereign Latin America, and a world where the countries of the South could decide the fate of their nations, without foreign interference.” In the posthumous tribute to the Founding Father of Namibia, Salvador Valdés Mesa honoured his support in the tireless battle against the criminal blockade of Cuba and the arbitrary inclusion of our country on the list of states that supposedly sponsor terrorism, and conveyed the most heartfelt condolences to the beloved Namibian people and the Nujoma family.