Dark Sunday in Katutura: Shifidi is killed!

ON September 16 2009 the NBC reminded the nation that it was Immanuel Shifidi’s birthday. This took me back to the life of that highly considerate and very inclusive person. Shifidi spent part of his adult life on Robben Island with other Namibians and upon release the CCN took responsibility for the welfare of these modest patriots, among them Messack Victory, Martin Kapewasha, Ben Ulenga, Willem Biwa, Ida Jimmy, Kahumba Tuhadeleni and others.

Swapo organised a rally and rumour had it that Koevoet would break the event. The day arrived amid guarded anticipation and excitement as it was believed that Swapo President had sent a special message to the nation.The rally commenced with revolutionary songs while the different Swapo wings and sections marched onto the open field between the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Katutura Secondary School. Police and army vehicles attended in large numbers. The podium was constructed east, close to the street running along the houses of Meester Katzao and Ephraem Kariseb.When Immanuel Ngatjizeko was called to the podium the crowds stood in attention as he was expected to bring the important message from the Swapo president in exile. Suddenly the microphone died and there was strong movement on the ground. I stood in the back of Jeremiah Nambinga’s bakkie, parked on the western edge of the crowd along with John Liebenberg, Pineas Aluteni, Charles Tjijenda and others. Liebenberg jumped off to take pictures and we followed suit. The site was shocking: Immanuel Shifidi lay in blood with a sharp arrow-like object protruding through his chest from the back. His eyes were wide open and he breathed very heavily. An army Casspir charged towards the stage and dismantled it in one minute. By miracle all on the stage escaped. Teargas canisters lay smoking over the place. My friend Dr Thomas Ihuhua helped a breathless woman into the back of his 4×4 pickup. I thought of Immanuel the main speaker. Was he arrested or killed in the confusion? Next I saw him climbing over a two-metre fence and collapsing on the other side into Meester Katzao’s yard. Some Comrades chased a few young men in the direction of the Sentrale Winkels. Charles Tjijenda and I joined the chase. Solomon Gamatham was in hot pursuit with a 4×4 land cruiser. Gamatham drove over a pavement and I closed my eyes, believing that he was about to kill somebody. When I opened my eyes his car lay on the ground. Charles Tjijenda and others managed to get Gamatham out of the car. The chase was aborted and the suspects were all at large. We ran back to the site. Shifidi was getting weaker. Jeremiah Nambinga, John Liebenberg, Charles Tjijenda and some Comrades lifted Shifidi onto Nambinga’s bakkie whose front screen was shuttered and glass lay all over the interior. Charles pulled Nambinga back as he tried to jump onto the driver’s seat for the hospital. We cleared some of the glass. Liebenberg threw his jacket onto the driver’s seat and Nambinga took off. It was deurmekaar. Aluteni and I drove to Katutura Hospital and rushed into the emergency ward. The site was depressing and emotional. Mekulu Helvi Kondombolo and Meme Ice Cream sat in tears next to the bed on which Shifidi lay passively, covered in white. His big eyes were closed and he was not breathing… Forty minutes later Mekulu Kondombolo arrived at Shifidi’s residence in Golgotha. She sadly but calmly and, as brave as ever broke the news. It was indeed Dark Sunday in Katutura.