Military funeral for Nghimtina despite government moratorium

Retired colonel, former minister of defence and liberation icon Erkki Nghimtina (78) has been accorded a military funeral despite a Cabinet moratorium on official funerals.

Nghimtina died on 8 February at his homestead at Edundja village in the Ohangwena region.

The moratorium, approved by Cabinet in June last year, runs from 16 June 2025 to 31 March 2026.

At the time, minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus said the temporary halt was meant to allow a review of the criteria and processes used to grant official funerals.

She added that the moratorium does not affect the constitutional powers of the president to confer national honours.

It is not clear who accorded Nghimtina the military funeral as neither the Presidency nor the defence ministry could confirm this.

However, Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs spokesperson Petrus Shilumbu yesterday confirmed that president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah directed the defence ministry to accord Nghimtina a military funeral.

Shilumbu said Nghimtina qualified for a military funeral for his service in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF).
“Nghimtina was inducted in the NDF in 1990 and was inducted with a rank of lieutenant colonel until 1994 when he was promoted to the rank of colonel,” he said.

In the past, the Presidency announced such confirmations, as was the case with the late lieutenant colonel Office Chisozu, who died in October 2025.

New Era this week reported that the military funeral for Nghimtina was confirmed by Ohangwena governor Kadiva Hamutumwa.

From 1995 to 1997, Nghimtina was appointed deputy minister of defence by founding president Sam Nujoma.

In 1998, he was elevated to minister of defence. In March 2005, he was appointed minister of mines and energy, and in March 2010, he became minister of works and transport.

Shilumbu explained that military funerals are accorded to currently serving members of the NDF with full military honours, to retired members if an amendment is made, and to officer cadets or recruits who die while undergoing military training.

“Take note that military funerals are not accorded to members who have resigned, have been discharged from the force or who have committed suicide,” he said.

Retired NDF lieutenant general Martin Shali says a military funeral is normally approved following consultation between the president and the force chief.

“Military funerals are normally accorded by the chief of the defence force in consultation with the commander in chief, in this case, the president.

Depending on the decision and arrival of the decision, either one of them will be the chief mourner,” he says.

However, he says to qualify, one must be retired or serving defence force personnel, but the honours depend on rank, with funerals for a sergeant, commander or lieutenant general differing from each other.

Shali says, in terms of state or official funerals, the president accords such honours based on recommendations by a committee, while in the military, the criteria are already prescribed in ceremonial manuals.

Meanwhile, social activist Tangy Tshilongo says the law must be applied, and military or official funerals should not be automatic for party leaders.
“Let’s separate emotions from law.

Being a Swapo veteran or liberation struggle participant does not automatically qualify someone for a military funeral under statutory law,” Tshilongo says.

He argues that Namibia is a constitutional democracy, not a liberation movement, as there is no standing statute granting all Swapo veterans or former ministers automatic eligibility for military funerals.

He adds that such honours are politically motivated and that respect for the dead must never override respect for the law.
Nghimtina will be laid to rest at the Eenhana Heroes Shrine in the Ohangwena region on Saturday.

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