Herero leader’s remains returned, reburied

THE remains of one of the veterans of the Herero-German war, King Michael Tjiseseta, who fled to South Africa in the early 1900s, were reburied at Omaruru in the Erongo Region last weekend.

The return of King Tjiseseta’s mortal remains on Friday brought to an end a three-year-long struggle by the Ovaherero from Omaruru to persuade the Krugersdorp local authority to have the remains disinterred so that they could give him a “fitting burial” back home. “This is indeed an emotional but also joyous moment for people of Omaruru, and of course all Namibians.Our leader deserved a proper and dignified funeral in his land now that Namibia is free,” said Alfons Tjiurutue, one of the senior leaders of the Otjizemba White Flag.The remains were met at the Hosea Kutako international airport by dozens of Ovaherero from both the Red and White Flags, as well as members of the Ovambanderu’s Green Flag.Tjiseseta, who died in 1927 – “bravely and gallantly” – led his people against German imperial forces, said Tjiurutue.He first fled to Botswana in 1904 at the height of the war in which tens of thousands were slaughtered by German soldiers.Tjiseseta returned to Namibia a year later before being forced to flee again, with a number of his subjects, to South Africa with the help of an English missionary.”This is indeed an emotional but also joyous moment for people of Omaruru, and of course all Namibians.Our leader deserved a proper and dignified funeral in his land now that Namibia is free,” said Alfons Tjiurutue, one of the senior leaders of the Otjizemba White Flag.The remains were met at the Hosea Kutako international airport by dozens of Ovaherero from both the Red and White Flags, as well as members of the Ovambanderu’s Green Flag.Tjiseseta, who died in 1927 – “bravely and gallantly” – led his people against German imperial forces, said Tjiurutue.He first fled to Botswana in 1904 at the height of the war in which tens of thousands were slaughtered by German soldiers.Tjiseseta returned to Namibia a year later before being forced to flee again, with a number of his subjects, to South Africa with the help of an English missionary.