The name of Ehrenst Ngarikutuke Tjiriange will be etched in the annals of history in bold golden letters, ‘for he came, he saw and conquered as far as Namibia’s liberation struggle and its subsequent political independence’.

These sentiments were echoed by International Relations Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, during the burial of the late Tjiriange at the Heroes Acre on Thursday, where close to 100 people converged to pay their last respect to the former cabinet minister and former Secretary of General of Swapo.

‘Tjiriange completes his journey a proud man. Ngarikutuke [which loosely translates to ‘let it be liberated’] and it [Namibia] is now liberated. Pride in the sense that he lived and worked to see Namibia independent,’ she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, who was the programme director added that due to COVID-19 regulations the mourners, who included President Hage Geingob, Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, widow Ndinelao Tjiriange, Chief of Namibia Defence Force, Air Marshal Martin Kambulu Pinehas and Premier Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and the late Tjiriange’s children would not be able to witness the covering of the grave during the burial ceremony, but could come back later to view it.

Geingob, the widow and Pinehas each laid individual wreaths on the graveside during the programme that lasted under one hour due to the prevailing devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Tjiriange who was also Namibia’s first Minister of Justice was honoured with a hero’s funeral by the Namibian government for his immense contribution dating back to the 60s and later after Namibia got its political independence in 1990. He was Namibia’s first Minister of Justice and a member of the Namibian cabinet from1990 to 2010 as well as the Minister of Veteran Affairs under the leadership of the founding father and father of the nation Dr Sam Nujoma.

With few government officials attending the burial, Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Frans Kapofi and few service chiefs also bade farewell to Tjiriange who was laid next to the liberation struggle icon Peter Nanyemba.

The late Tjiriange was born on 12 July 1943. He died on 23 July 2021, aged 78. He leaves behind his wife Juliana Ndinelao Tjiriange and ten children.

Source: Namibia Press Agency