The legacy of captain Hendrik Witbooi continues to inspire generations through his courage, leadership, faith, and commitment to his people.
Witbooi Legacy Project founder Olga Witbooi said this at the launch of the project, founded alongside Faith Witbooi-Olibile and Petra Peterson, at Gibeon in the Hardap region on Saturday.
Witbooi, who lived from 1830 to 1905, was a chief of the ǀKhowesin people, a subgroup of the Nama people, in present-day Namibia.
Affectionately known as ‘Outa !Nanseb’, he led the Nama people during their revolts against the German colonial empire.
Witbooi is regarded as one of Namibia’s national heroes, and his face is portrayed on the reverse side of all N$50, N$100, and N$200 banknotes.
“The Witbooi Legacy Project seeks to preserve the rich heritage, values and legacy of the Witbooi family. The initiative is founded on the belief that heritage should be viewed as a responsibility rather than simply something to remember. His life represented much more than resistance and leadership.
“At the same time, we, the descendants of captain Hendrik Witbooi, want the project to give back to the community through social outreaches for the well-being of the poor, the vulnerable and the youth,” Olga said at the event.
During the occasion, the Witbooi Children’s Initiative held a community outreach and handed over items such as food parcels, warm clothing and blankets, as well as toiletries for schoolgoing children.
Captain Hendrik Witbooi is one of nine national heroes of Namibia who were identified at the inauguration of the country’s Heroes’ Acre near Windhoek on 26 August 2002.
Speaking at the inauguration at the time, founding president Sam Nujoma described Witbooi as the first African leader who took up arms against German imperialists and foreign occupiers in defence of the country and territorial integrity.
“We, the new generation of the Land of the Brave, are inspired by kaptein Hendrik Witbooi’s revolutionary action in combat against the German imperialists who colonised and oppressed our people. To his revolutionary spirit and his visionary memory, we humbly offer our honour and respect,” Nujoma said at the time.
Deputy minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Dino Ballotti said Witbooi’s life was characterised by extraordinary courage in the face of adversity, and an unwavering commitment to justice and human dignity.
Ballotti reflected on the historical importance and heritage Witbooi left left, as reflected in his diary and correspondence that have survived and became known as the Hendrik Witbooi Papers.
These documents are stored in the National Archives of Namibia in Windhoek, in addition to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s recognition in 2005, recognising Witbooi’s journals as documentary heritage of global importance and inscribed in its Memory of the World International Register.
Among the key highlights of the event was the presentation and public viewing of a whip and a replica Bible.
“Captain Hendrik Witbooi had an unshakable dedication to the welfare and the future of his community. He emerged as a unifying figure whose leadership transcended tribal boundaries and inspired a broader vision of unity and nationhood,” Ballotti said.
