‘The truth is in heaven’

The late Hidipo Hamutenya’s nephew Kennedy Hamutenya says only his father and Axali Doëseb ‘who are in heaven’ can tell the truth about who composed Namibia’s national anthem.

Kennedy was contributing to the controversial debate around who between his father and Doëseb composed the national anthem.

“Other than the two people, everyone else that was there at the time, such as ministers, know the bills that they have passed and should be guiding us on this matter,” Hamutenya told The Namibian yesterday.

Debate was sparked after it was announced that Doëseb will be accorded a state funeral.

Doëseb’s last interview with The Namibian highlighted that only two songs qualified for the final. One that belonged to Ernst van Biljon and his. The rest was history, he said.

He also denied allegations about Hidipo Hamutenya claiming to have penned the words of the national anthem.

“Any composer anywhere in the world will tell you that it is impossible to compose a song over the words of another person,” Doëseb said at the time.

The debate was sparked by comments made by minister in the presidency Christine //Hoëbes, who said Doëseb can not solely get credit as the composer of Namibia’s national anthem.

Joseph Diescho, in an interview with a local daily said the late Doëseb did not comprehend the country’s struggle and the gains of independence enough to come up with those lyrics.

“It was not a kwasa kwasa song to have been left to a musician alone without the lead input of people who lived and understood the liberation struggle experience,” Diescho said.

Also adding his view, former minister of information and communication technology Joel Kaapanda agreed that the national anthem was collaborated on and not solely composed by Doëseb.

“The melody was composed by Doëseb but the words were composed by other people that were part of the committee, which was chaired by the late Hidipo Hamutenya,” Kaapanda told The Namibian yesterday.

According to Kaapanda, the late Hamutenya played a crucial role in formulating the lyrics of the song.

“Someone needs to be knowledgeable in order to have composed those lyrics, which reflected on the essence of the liberation struggle. They should have been part of the struggle,” he added.

He noted that Doëseb was not part of the struggle as he was inside the country at the time.

Doëseb has been accorded a state funeral by president Geingob for his “significant” contribution to the nation.

In his statement issued yesterday, Geingob confirmed that Doëseb was not only an artist and composer, but the driving force behind the creation of the country’s national anthem, and his efforts of shaping our nation will forever be remembered.

Member of parliament (MP) Dudu Murorua on Tuesday questioned why it has been a secret that Hamutenya composed the national anthem.

“History books [say] the anthem was composed by Axali and why was it never highlighted in Hamutenya’s political career?” the United Democratic Front MP asked in parliament.

The question was then referred to prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, who referred parliamentarians to the National Symbols Act 17 of 2018.

Also addressing the National Assembly, speaker Peter Katjavivi read out the act: “The national anthem of the Republic of Namibia consists of the lyrics set out in part A of schedule 2 and the melody, music and lyrics set out in part B of schedule 2 as composed and written by Axali Doëseb.”

Doëseb will be buried in Windhoek tomorrow.