Eulogy For A ‘Man of Principle’

DR Tjitendero’s untimely death is a shock to may of us who loved him so much for his honesty, sound intellectual judgment and flawless leadership.

For many of us who were in exile, Mosé was a shining guide who motivated us to believe that one day we would walk down Kaiser Street, free like birds, uplifted in spirit and capable of deciding the destiny of our children in peace. A man of principle at all times, a Pan-Africanist who shared his whole life with many of us during the hardship of exile.Mosé and Sandy’s house in Lusaka was warm and their love and determination motivated many Namibians who at times lost hope in the cause for which we escaped the country.Politicians will gather and speak volumes of things about him, some out of love, while others will grab the opportunity to be in the limelight.But many of the ordinary people will mourn him in silence, knowing the large gap lost in our attempts to build a nation.His legacy was yet to be completed, because most of us wanted to learn more about him.He was like a mirage in the sun, there and here, yet mellow in character, confident at work, honest in his relationship with people at the top and bottom and exemplary in all departments.He was a man born to a Herero slave-woman, who leaves behind a family of people full of dignity and respect for others.He was an intellectual giant, full of oratory beauty and wit that made him a sound Speaker of Parliament who strived to sustain the quality of debates in parliament.Tjitendero is hard to locate in the current Namibian intellectual ferments.Many of us would guess that he might have been a neo-classical Marxist, the type of Namudere or Shivi.Perhaps not.Perhaps he might have been a pragmatist of the post-modernist era.I suspect that he was a transformist confronting the gap between traditionalism and universality.This may again not be true.He was not a Joe Diescho (an intellectual giant) whose intellectual sensibility does not always transform society because of his preference to live on the fence.He might have advised Dr Kaire Mbuende’s Anatomy of Imperialism as a guide to de-construct the mythology behind imperialism and trans-nationalism He might have advised many authors of Namibian history – Katjavivi and Kerina’s account of a nation that was born at the League of Nations in the 1950s.But yet who was Mosé? This man was always a unifying factor whose personality and beliefs helped to resonate the value chain of idealism and liberalism.Always ready to offer a glass of champagne to those engaged in a heated debate about land reform to help them relocate ideas with ease.He was a strong personality whose presence always assured the nation that we were slowly progressing into the right direction.He was a symbol of hope for many students who appreciate education as a necessary step to understand the world and its mythologies.He was a symbol of hope to those who believe that success does not have to come from corruption or degradation of others.He was a perfectionist who believed in setting up national systems to sustain a democracy that is not based on which party and presidency is in power.This is his legacy that Namibians of all tribes and political persuasions should strive to achieve.Every time you visit his house in Olympia, you will find diverse personae ranging from Swapo, DTA, Nudo, Swanu, RP, UDF, PAC, Azapo and ANC.The African-American roots will strike those who forget that today we are a nation that stretches its wings across the Atlantic in search of our diasporian roots.The melodic voice of Jackson Kaujeua in his house would take you back to memory lane to recollect our own ‘No Easy Way to Freedom’.I am not sure whether his burial will be at Heroes’ Acre, Ovitoto, or Windhoek.It does not matter to ordinary Namibians.Perhaps to politicians it does.The respect for a good man is never enhanced or neglected by the way they are buried.As Sam Nujoma would perhaps say he did not waver where personalities like many of us might have.Heroes are born to history, because without them there would be an essential element lost to what we read and appreciate as historical account of nations.His untimely death is a complete loss to many of us who knew him.I would like on behalf of many of his friends and colleagues extend our heartfelt condolences, specifically to Sandy and the entire family.May his soul rest in peace.Dr Rukee Tjingaete Via e-mailA man of principle at all times, a Pan-Africanist who shared his whole life with many of us during the hardship of exile.Mosé and Sandy’s house in Lusaka was warm and their love and determination motivated many Namibians who at times lost hope in the cause for which we escaped the country.Politicians will gather and speak volumes of things about him, some out of love, while others will grab the opportunity to be in the limelight.But many of the ordinary people will mourn him in silence, knowing the large gap lost in our attempts to build a nation.His legacy was yet to be completed, because most of us wanted to learn more about him.He was like a mirage in the sun, there and here, yet mellow in character, confident at work, honest in his relationship with people at the top and bottom and exemplary in all departments.He was a man born to a Herero slave-woman, who leaves behind a family of people full of dignity and respect for others.He was an intellectual giant, full of oratory beauty and wit that made him a sound Speaker of Parliament who strived to sustain the quality of debates in parliament.Tjitendero is hard to locate in the current Namibian intellectual ferments.Many of us would guess that he might have been a neo-classical Marxist, the type of Namudere or Shivi.Perhaps not.Perhaps he might have been a pragmatist of the post-modernist era.I suspect that he was a transformist confronting the gap between traditionalism and universality. This may again not be true.He was not a Joe Diescho (an intellectual giant) whose intellectual sensibility does not always transform society because of his preference to live on the fence.He might have advised Dr Kaire Mbuende’s Anatomy of Imperialism as a guide to de-construct the mythology behind imperialism and trans-nationalism He might have advised many authors of Namibian history – Katjavivi and Kerina’s account of a nation that was born at the League of Nations in the 1950s.But yet who was Mosé? This man was always a unifying factor whose personality and beliefs helped to resonate the value chain of idealism and liberalism.Always ready to offer a glass of champagne to those engaged in a heated debate about land reform to help them relocate ideas with ease.He was a strong personality whose presence always assured the nation that we were slowly progressing into the right direction.He was a symbol of hope for many students who appreciate education as a necessary step to understand the world and its mythologies.He was a symbol of hope to those who believe that success does not have to come from corruption or degradation of others.He was a perfectionist who believed in setting up national systems to sustain a democracy that is not based on which party and presidency is in power.This is his legacy that Namibians of all tribes and political persuasions should strive to achieve.Every time you visit his house in Olympia, you will find diverse personae ranging from Swapo, DTA, Nudo, Swanu, RP, UDF, PAC, Azapo and ANC.The African-American roots will strike those who forget that today we are a nation that stretches its wings across the Atlantic in search of our diasporian roots.The melodic voice of Jackson Kaujeua in his house would take you back to memory lane to recollect our own ‘No Easy Way to Freedom’.I am not sure whether his burial will be at Heroes’ Acre, Ovitoto, or Windhoek.It does not matter to ordinary Namibians.Perhaps to politicians it does.The respect for a good man is never enhanced or neglected by the way they are buried.As Sam Nujoma would perhaps say he did not waver where personalities like many of us might have.Heroes are born to history, because without them there would be an essential element lost to what we read and appreciate as historical account of nations.His untimely death is a complete loss to many of us who knew him.I would like on behalf of many of his friends and colleagues extend our heartfelt condolences, specifically to Sandy and the entire family.May his soul rest in peace.Dr Rukee Tjingaete Via e-mail