The death of Katuutire Kaura, a veteran politician of the struggle against apartheid, historian and teacher, has seen condolences pouring in from friends and pundits alike.

Kaura died during the early hours of Sunday morning, aged 81.

Kaura became president of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) in 1998, replacing the exiled Mishake Muyongo; a position he held until 2013 when he lost to McHenry Venaani at DTA’s hotly contested intraparty congress.

Political stalwarts, some of whom worked closely with Kaura for decades, described him as a good educator, astute politician, brilliant orator and a historian par excellence.

“I worked with Kaura for many years. We were very close since his return from the United States in the early 70s. He was very important ammunition in our struggle for independence. He was part of the Constituent Assembly that birthed this country. He loved this country,” Mike Venaani, a veteran politician of the DTA [now Popular Democratic Movement] said.

While Kaura may have joined Swapo in the twilight of his political career, it is in the DTA where he became a household name and a political force to be reckoned with.

“It is just like in football where [Cristiano] Ronaldo left Manchester United to join Real Madrid. He was our Ronaldo. PDM [DTA] will always be his political home and this is what I would tell him daily, during our interactions.”

Another DTA stalwart, Edward Uapundua Mumbuu, was also gutted by the news.

“He was a good teacher and a staunch activist for the just reparation, atonement and apology from the Germans on the genocide matter. He is an important part of our history and leaves a huge void behind. He was firm and deeply rooted in his convictions and respected time,” Mumbuu recalled.

Political analyst Natjirikasorua Tjirera equated Kaura’s demise to a walking encyclopaedia that has been “silenced” and “a library burned down”.

“Kaura was an intellect of note and a steadfast politician. His strongest skill was that he was a historian of note, especially of the history of the Ovaherero people, and a brilliant orator. It’s a sad day for the motherland as we have lost a founding father of the republic,” Tjirera said, adding that the late Kaura was loathed as much as he was loved.

“He was called all kinds of names for remaining in DTA when chief Riruako moved to NUDO out of the DTA, yet he remained steadfast. He joined Swapo and was called names, yet he remained there regardless of the criticism,” he added.

On his part, analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah described the late politician as a veteran before and after independence.

“History will remember him for liberating and building Namibia. We need to treasure those veterans no matter which political party they belong to. We need to record their stories, which are very important in taking Namibia forward.”

Kaura was born at Ombujondjupa in the Otjozondjupa Region on 03 February 1941.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency