Nehale Was Not King

I REFER to an article published in The Namibian of Friday, 18 November 2011, written by R Kozonguizi and D Aluteni, Windhoek, entitled, ‘Do Not Stoke Tribalism And Civil War’.

The said article was responding to the other article written by Hewat Beukes entitled ‘Bags of money from Germany will not equal restitution’ (The Namibian, 8 November).The two colleagues were more concerned about the author ‘identifying Nama- or Herero-speaking Namibians as ‘nations’,’ which they feel ‘is erroneous from a Leninist position and goes against the spirit of nation-building.’ While I have no reservations with their argument in general, I was offended by the uninformed argument they advanced as follows: ‘Even more pertinently, the bravery of King Nehale of the Ndonga-speaking people, who immediately attacked the Namutoni fort on 28 January 1904 and fought relentlessly against the Germans until his death in April 1908, also deserves to be accorded hero status.’I strongly feel offended as an Oshindonga-speaking person when Kozonguizi and Aluteni took it upon themselves to call the brave Nehale lya Mpingana as ‘King’ Nehale of the Ndonga-speaking people.I take it as a historical distortion.To suggest that Nehale lya Mpingana was a designated and legitimate Ondonga King is traditional, cultural and historical arrogance.This needs to be told clearly that Aandonga never had a king called Nehale lya Mpingana. We had King Kambonde ka Mpingana.Regrettably, influential politicians in this country have taken it upon themselves to name the gate into the Etosha National Park ‘King Nehale lya Mpingana’. Whose ‘King’ or what type of ‘King’ was he? We only recognized Nehale as one of the great warriors but not as a ‘King’. Ondonga history is not a lion’s history, which is told by any hunter.Yes, as Kozonguizi and Aluteni have argued in their article (in a different context), we should be careful that we do not stoke the fires of tribal divisions and hatred in this country. Therefore, I want to advise the two enlightened writers to correct themselves on this the Ondonga issue. It is a traditional and cultural distortion. Our children must not grow up on a foundation of falsehood but historical truth.S EinoOshikoto Region

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.