Ngurare sings Diescho’s praises

Prime minister Elijah Ngurare showers praise on self-exiled academic Joseph Diescho, who famously fell out with the late president Hage Geingob.

In a social media post, Ngurare describes Diescho as Namibia’s “first black professor” who courageously challenged apartheid and inspired resistance against colonial rule.

“When we were growing up, prof Joseph Diescho provided inspiration in the education sector. I recall vividly his visit to what was then Rundu Sekondêre Skool. At that time, teachers were South African Defence Force soldiers, in uniform and armed. One morning at assembly, prof Diescho was invited by the late principal Munekuto ‘Tjangi’ Nekaro,” Ngurare writes.

He recounts how Diescho, during that visit, left a lasting impression on the pupils.

“For many of us, he was the first black professor we saw. He humbly walked to the front and spoke in English we had never heard before. He berated the soldiers. He berated the apartheid government, with a restrained smile and an Afro of pride,” he adds.

Diescho, who has been living in Germany, made a brief visit to Namibia during the 2024 presidential election campaign, sparking speculation about his political intentions.

His return triggered rumours that he might endorse Swapo’s presidential candidate, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

However, he left the country soon after, having expressed that he felt much safer in a Namibia under the leadership of Swapo’s then presidential candidate.

“The head of state would monitor where I was sleeping and say it in public. . . I don’t want to hear rumours, I want to hear it and look them in the eye. And they would not have done that during Geingob’s time,” he said.

It remains unclear whether Ngurare’s praise signals an effort to bring Diescho into the current administration.

Under Geingob’s presidency, Diescho was publicly branded a failure after his dismissal as head of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management.

“I thought this is an opportunity for a scholar like him to come and prove his worth, to train Namibians. What happened? Did he tell you about what happened? Failure, that’s the word. Failure,” Geingob is on record as saying.

Ngurare, however, calls for unity.

“Let’s continue on the path of nation building, imperfect as it may be. Present and future generations must inherit a united Namibia. Long live a free and independent Namibia,” Ngurare says.

The post drew positive reactions from some lawmakers, including Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda, who commends Ngurare for his reconciliatory tone.

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