Otto Schimming dies

A PROMINENT Namibian figure, Otto Ferdinand Schimming, died peacefully in the arms of his daughter, CoD parliamentarian Nora Schimming-Chase, at her home yesterday afternoon.

He was 97 years old. Schimming will be remembered by many as Namibia’s first black teacher, who founded the Rietquelle School, and for his activism in petitioning the United Nations on Namibia, then South West Africa, in the 1960s.Schimming acted as a secretary to the late Chief Hosea Kutako and drafted the first protest letter to the United Nations, petitioning the world body to give a hearing to the real representatives of the Namibian people and opposing incorporation into South Africa.Schimming, as the chosen translator of the black community, accompanied Victorio Carpio of the Philippines and Dr Martinez De Alva of Mexico, who led a UN delegation to Namibia in 1962 to investigate conditions in the country.Schimming is survived by three children, 17 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.He will be buried on the weekend of December 17 at his farm De Rus in the Rehoboth district.For more information, contact Nora at 081 127 3240 or Jackson at 081 124 0694.Schimming will be remembered by many as Namibia’s first black teacher, who founded the Rietquelle School, and for his activism in petitioning the United Nations on Namibia, then South West Africa, in the 1960s.Schimming acted as a secretary to the late Chief Hosea Kutako and drafted the first protest letter to the United Nations, petitioning the world body to give a hearing to the real representatives of the Namibian people and opposing incorporation into South Africa.Schimming, as the chosen translator of the black community, accompanied Victorio Carpio of the Philippines and Dr Martinez De Alva of Mexico, who led a UN delegation to Namibia in 1962 to investigate conditions in the country.Schimming is survived by three children, 17 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.He will be buried on the weekend of December 17 at his farm De Rus in the Rehoboth district.For more information, contact Nora at 081 127 3240 or Jackson at 081 124 0694.

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