POLITICIANS and community members paid their last respects to former teacher and veteran politician Albert Krohne as he was laid to rest at Keetmanshoop’s Krönlein cemetery on Saturday.
Krohne, known as ‘The Lion of the South’, died on January 11 after a protracted illness. He was 82. In his eulogy, Karas governor Bernadus Swartbooi remembered Krohne as a dedicated and committed footsoldier who fought for the betterment of the community during the colonial era. Saying that the construction of the N$3 billion Neckartal Dam near Keetmanshoop has become a reality thanks to a motion Krohne had passed as one of the founding politicians in the Karas Regional Council (KRC), Swartbooi remarked: ‘We have lost a great leader whose work was remarkable for the progress of Karas Region, but his legacy lives on.’ Swartbooi said Krohne would be remembered for bringing the biggest development project yet – the Neckartal Dam – to Karas Region.’We hope strong political and spiritual leaders like Krohne would emerge to take the place of Krohne in the Karas Region,’ he added.Swartbooi suggested that the longest street in Keetmanshoop be named after Krohne. Krohne had served two consecutive terms as the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) representative in the Karas Regional Council.None of the DTA’s top brass, except local party leader and Keetmanshoop mayor Moses Titus, attended Krohne’s funeral. Krohne was also one of the founding members of the Namibia Independence Party (NIP), and chairperson of the Namibia National Front (NNF).Also speaking at the funeral service, a co-founder of NIP, Charlie Hartung, praised Krohne for the role he played in liberating the country from segregation during the apartheid era. Krohne is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.
