VETERAN politician Moses Katjiuongua died early yesterday morning at his house in Rocky Crest, Windhoek, after having been in poor health for a long time.
Family members gathering at Katjiuongua’s house said he was not feeling well the day before his death and had consulted his doctor before deciding to return to his house. ‘Lately he had problems with his stomach,’ said family member, Brian Black, who added that a post-mortem would have to be conducted before the cause of death can be established. He said Katjiuongua (68) had suffered from a broken leg that failed to heal. ‘As a family we will have to consult and wait to see what Government’s plans are,’ said Black, who believes Katjiuongua deserves a heroes’ burial. The family has informed State House of Katjiuongua’s death. ‘He was a legend and hero. He did not only belong to us, but to the nation. We want the nation to pay its respects to him,’ said Black. Katjiuongua was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drew up the Namibian Constitution before Independence. From 1990 to 2000, he served as a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Coalition of Namibia (DCN) and the Namibian Patriotic Front (NPF).In November 2003 he disbanded the NPF and joined the Congress of Democrats (CoD) in 2004, but left the party in a leadership split that saw many of its founding members depart. Katjiuongua attended the College of Swedish Confederation from 1956 to 1959. After that he went into exile as a Swanu activist through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Egypt. He later studied journalism at Madgeburg, East Germany, before returning to Cairo to work at Swanu’s office in Cairo. After attending the fourth conference of the Afro-Asia People’s Solidarity Organisation in Moshi, Tanzania, in 1963, he went on an extensive trip to China where he met legendary Chinese leader Mao Zedung. He returned to Tanzania where he worked at the Swanu office for a short time before going to Sweden where he enrolled for a BA degree in political science at the University of Stockholm. He also completed a Master’s Degree in public administration at the Carlton University in Ottowa, Canada. Katjiuongua returned to Namibia in 1982 and led a Swanu faction into the Multi-Party Conference in 1983. He then became the Minister of Manpower, Health and Welfare in the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU) in the late 1980s. In a message of condolence, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Joël Kaapanda, described Katjiuongua as a powerful orator during debates in Parliament. ‘[Namibia] as a nation mourns and will forever miss him on the political landscape,’ said Kaapanda. ‘My father was the greatest man that ever lived,’ said the tearful youngest daughter of Katjiuongua, Nankelo. ‘He was loving, generous, and truly a gentleman. I cannot imagine life without him. He was my everything and the love of my life.’Black said what made Katjiuongua stand out was his love for the motherland and passion for equity, fairness and justice, and was a ‘bridge builder, reconciler and great thinker’. ‘Whilst he was a good listener, he never hesitated to take a stand against the view of the majority when in his opinion it was justified. At times he was crucified, even by his own people, and whilst it is not in the nature of the human race to embrace the excellence of others, I have no doubt that even his biggest political enemies will today admit that Moses taught them a lesson or two,’ said Black. Katjiuongua is survived by his wife, Rebecca Matjituavi, four children and five grandchildren.
