The teenager who rescued twins from drowning in a pond in the Omusati region will be given national hero status by president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Heroes Day on 26 August.
Kornelius Shimwafeni (16) rescued infant twins from drowning in May, after allegedly seeing their mother throwing the babies into a pond.
“I cannot swim, but I dived in. I decided if they were dying, we would die together. I just wanted to save them,” Shimwafeni told The Namibian in an interview earlier this year.
Shimwafeni’s story gained national attention, with prime minister Elijah Ngurare praising his bravery.
Now, the president is expected to honour the boy on a national stage for his heroic action.
“On this special occasion, she is expected to confer national hero status upon Kornelius Shimwafeni, a courageous 16-year-old boy from Omutundungu village in the Omusati region, who risked his own life earlier this year to save nine-month-old months old twins from drowning in a water pond,” minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus announced in the Omusati region last week.
Shimwafeni is also reported to have rescued two other boys, aged between eight and 10, last year when they fell into water while herding animals.
Heroes Day will be commemorated under the theme Build on Bravery: Bound for a Prosperous Future.
The event will also include the reburial of seven veterans.
“Seven of our fallen freedom fighters will be accorded the honour and dignity they deserve through reburial at Heroes’ Acre,” Theofelus said.
