When it comes to meals, founding president Sam ‘Shafiishuna’ Nujoma had one go-to dish.
“Fish,” he replied, “because I was brought up on it.”
He had revealed this in an interview with veteran journalist Zoé Titus in 1999 to commemorate his 70th birthday, published on 7 May.
Titus interviewed him on some of his likes and dislikes, among them his favourite dishes.
Nujoma went on to add chicken and millet to his list as well.
“Because you cannot get cancer from it,” the president had said, and explained that no organic fertiliser was used to grow millet.
Your favourite drink? “Grape juice, apple juice or oshikundo (a non-alcoholic drink made from millet and sugar),” he said.
Nujoma’s long-time bodyguard, Napando Amupando, who on occasion sat down with the founding president for meals, also remembers fondly how much he loved his fish.
“Nujoma’s favourite dish was fish, though he also enjoyed fruit,” he says.
Amupanda’s role encompassed more than just physical protection.
He was entrusted with the safety of Nujoma’s life, his body, his food, and his vital documents.
“Nujoma did not eat alone. He would always say ‘come and eat with me at my table’. He was like a father to us,” Amupanda told The Namibian last week.
A LOVE FOR PLANTING
Nujoma’s love for traditional food is also reflected in an undated video showing a light conversation between himself and former president Hage Geingob during what seems to appear a casual day.
The two former presidents were neighbours in Windhoek’s affluent neighbourhood of Avis.
In the video, Geingob is dressed in white shorts and takkies with a towel over his shoulder, while the founding president was clad in jeans and an olive jacket.
“Oh, comrade Geingob, how are you?” Nujoma greets.
Geingob chuckles and replies: “I’m here playing and you are working.”
He then asks how his senior comrade is doing.
Behind Nujoma was what appeared to be a field of crops.
“We were just here looking at my experiment with my ginger beer roots, which I took from Kaduna in Nigeria,” Nujoma said.
“Are they out?” Geingob asks.
“They are growing, but I wanted to transplant them from here to Kavango now. If they can grow it here, in Kavango they could grow,” he said as Geingob chuckled.
Nujoma’s appreciation of food did not end with the planting of various crops.
A MAN WITH AN APPETITE
Eenhana businesswoman Dortea Shindodi says she used to cook for Nujoma whenever he visited her town.
“I had served him a meal consisting of spinach. While they sat down to their meal, he called me. I was a bit worried about what I may have done wrong, but he complimented me on the delicious spinach, and said he would take the rest of the spinach that was in my car at the time.”
