Glowing tributes for Amathila

POLITICAL parties and Members of Parliament showered praise on their fellow MP Ben Amathila, who bade farewell to the House yesterday.

His diplomatic and negotiation skills were lauded by CoD opposition party leader Nora Schimming- Chase, while Hidipo Hamutenya of Swapo called Amathila “affable, never offensive and a man of history with the largest personal archive about the liberation struggle”. “He will put that (archive) to good use and write the history of Namibia’s liberation struggle,” Hamutenya added.Henk Mudge of the Republican Party noted that he had learned a lot from Amathila since he, Mudge, came to Parliament.DTA Chairman Johan de Waal said Amathila was a political leader one could trust.”When Honourable Amathila talks about national reconciliation one can trust him, he is a genuine leader,” he added.UDF President Chief Justus Garoeb remembered Amathila from the sixties organising political rallies at Walvis Bay as assistant of the late Swapo stalwart Nathaniel Maxuilili.”We even played tennis together,” he said.The Speaker of Parliament, Theo-Ben Gurirab, called Amathila “a rare breed of Namibian”.Prime Minister Nahas Angula, who is only a few years younger than the 68-year-old Amathila, said he was a mentor and a leading example.”Ben Amathila is one of the icons of the Namibian liberation struggle,” the Prime Minister said.”I want to thank him for reminding us today in his farewell speech of the need for leadership today.”Angula also said the time was not far off for he himself “to follow in the footsteps” of Amathila with regard to retirement.”But only when I am 70 years,” he noted.The Prime Minister will be 64 this year.”He will put that (archive) to good use and write the history of Namibia’s liberation struggle,” Hamutenya added.Henk Mudge of the Republican Party noted that he had learned a lot from Amathila since he, Mudge, came to Parliament.DTA Chairman Johan de Waal said Amathila was a political leader one could trust.”When Honourable Amathila talks about national reconciliation one can trust him, he is a genuine leader,” he added.UDF President Chief Justus Garoeb remembered Amathila from the sixties organising political rallies at Walvis Bay as assistant of the late Swapo stalwart Nathaniel Maxuilili.”We even played tennis together,” he said.The Speaker of Parliament, Theo-Ben Gurirab, called Amathila “a rare breed of Namibian”.Prime Minister Nahas Angula, who is only a few years younger than the 68-year-old Amathila, said he was a mentor and a leading example.”Ben Amathila is one of the icons of the Namibian liberation struggle,” the Prime Minister said.”I want to thank him for reminding us today in his farewell speech of the need for leadership today.”Angula also said the time was not far off for he himself “to follow in the footsteps” of Amathila with regard to retirement.”But only when I am 70 years,” he noted.The Prime Minister will be 64 this year.