Katima mulilo: Former Zambezi Governor, Lawrence Sampofu, announced plans by the government to establish a Heroes Acre at one of the liberation struggle battlefields in the Zambezi Region. Sampofu shared this information with Nampa, addressing concerns about the absence of a shrine in Zambezi despite its historical significance in Namibia’s independence wars between 1967 and 1989.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Sampofu explained that it is only a matter of time before the government establishes a Heroes site at Kamenga, a location where several significant battles were fought. Kamenga is located over 130 kilometers west of Katima Mulilo in the Kongola Constituency. Sampofu recounted that many battles occurred at Kamenga until enemy forces relocated their military base to Nukwa.
During Sampofu’s tenure as governor, discussions were held with then-President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Swapo Secretary-General Sophia Shaningwa regarding the establishment of the Kamenga shrine. These discussions included site visits to potential locations. Initially, there was a plan to create a shrine north of Katima Mulilo at a historical site known as Mafulo. However, this land was privately owned, and the owner demanded N.dollars 4 million, a sum the government could not afford. Another site near the current Nova informal settlement was considered but was repurposed for residential use by the Katima Mulilo Town Council. As a result, Kamenga emerged as the viable option.
Zambezi mobiliser for the former People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) combatants, Patrick Mwampole, informed Nampa that plans to construct a shrine in the region are indeed underway. The shrine would honor many fallen heroes, such as the late Tobias Hainyeko, the first commander of PLAN, who was killed in Katima Mulilo in 1967. Mwampole emphasized that the shrine would serve as a symbolic tribute to those who died for freedom, including the late Brendan Simbwaye, Swapo Vice President, among others.
The Heroes Day commemoration is scheduled to take place at the Katima Mulilo Sports Stadium on Tuesday.