Heroes honoured as Windhoek gets 17 new street names

Seventeen streets in Windhoek are being named or renamed after heroes who made a contribution to Namibia’s battles against colonialism and apartheid.

Relatives of the people being honoured with the naming of streets gathered at the City of Windhoek’s head office for a streetnaming ceremony on Friday.

Windhoek mayor Queen Kamati, Khomas governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua, the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni, and Windhoek city councillor Job Amupanda were among the people present at the event.

City of Windhoek chief executive Moses Matyayi opened the event with a message on the meaning of ubuntu and made an appeal for unity among Windhoek residents.

Amupanda encouraged fellow Namibians to not take the names of streets lightly and to take pride in the areas in which they live.

Some streets in the city’s Olympia, Windhoek North and Katutura areas are being renamed, while new streets in the Auasblick and Rocky Crest areas will also bear the names of heroes.

Johann Albrecht Street in Windhoek North will become Gaob Dr Justus //Garoëb Street, in honour of the veteran Damara traditional leader and former member of parliament.

Jordan Street in Pionierspark will bear the name of Roman Catholic archbishop Bonifatius Haushiku, who died in 2002.

New streets in Auasblick Extension 1 will bear the names of Jason Mutumbulua and former ombudsman Fanuel Kozonguizi.
New streets in the Rocky Crest area will be named after anti-colonial leader Jacob Marengo, /Khomanin traditional leader Josophat Gawa-!Nab, chief Kamatuara Kukuri, anti-apartheid lawyer and judge Bryan O’Linn, Simon Sizingi Hiskia, Frans Kambangula, Karl Kazondunge and Festus Kamburona.

In the Elisenheim neighbourhood, a new street will be named after bishop Hendrik Frederik of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia, who died in 2021.

Sin Street in the Dolam area of Katutura will become Ulrich Paulino Street, and Dam Beach Street in the Goreangab will become John Kambangula Street.

Hennie Laubscher Street in Olympia is being renamed as General Karel Ndjoba Street.