Renthia Kaimbi
Namibia’s Heroes’ Day has reignited debate over who qualifies as a national hero, with opposition politicians calling for a broader definition that recognises citizens whose contributions extend beyond the country’s liberation struggle.
The debate comes as Namibia marked Heroes’ Day on 26 August, a day dedicated to honouring those who made sacrifices during the struggle for independence.
Leader of the official opposition in the National Assembly, Immanuel Nashinge, said the country’s approach to heroism should evolve to reflect the contributions of people who have served communities, protected others, created employment and helped build the economy.
Nashinge said national recognition should not be limited to prominent liberation figures or those who went into exile.
Nashinge told the Windhoek Observer that the current system for awarding national honours does not adequately reflect contemporary forms of heroism.
He argued that the criteria for national recognition appear to favour individuals with long-standing liberation credentials or close political ties, while citizens making a difference in their communities today remain overlooked.
He specifically cited Sean Naudé as an example of a contemporary hero, describing his efforts in rescuing people, combating crime and assisting communities without seeking political recognition.
Nashinge questioned the diversity of those receiving national honours and asked when Namibia would begin recognising “contemporary champions” contributing to the development and protection of a free Namibia.
“It’s not only Sean. I’m saying there are many people who have made a difference in other people’s lives,” he said.
He further cited drivers who transported liberation fighters, nurses who have delivered thousands of babies, cleaners who maintained government offices and the homes of liberation-era leaders, and police officers and bodyguards who provided protection.
“The drivers who drove the liberators from 21st March 1990 up to now, they are heroes. We have nurses who have delivered probably even 2,000 babies safely,” Nashinge said.
“We have cleaners who have been cleaning government offices and the houses of the liberators. They are heroes as well. You also have police officers, bodyguards who have protected them from day one. They are heroes as well.”
According to Nashinge, these contributions demonstrate that heroism is not necessarily defined by participation in the liberation struggle, but also by sustained service to others and the country.
He said Namibia should also recognise people who have contributed to economic development through entrepreneurship, industrialisation and job creation.
“So we need to move away from just politics, but everybody else, people who have created employment, people who have gone into creating industries for our economy to be able to move,” he said.
“We need to transition from viva viva to something inclusive, something truly in a free Namibia.”
Nashinge further expanded his argument to include private professionals whose work benefits people who cannot always afford their services.
He cited private doctors who provide treatment without charging patients and lawyers who assist people on a pro bono basis as examples of citizens whose contributions deserve recognition.
“Even private doctors who go to the extent they are out there who treat without charging. Lawyers who have been assisting people pro bono. Those are heroes,” he said.
The opposition leader stressed that his argument was not intended to diminish the sacrifices of Namibia’s liberation heroes, but to challenge what he sees as an overly narrow understanding of national heroism.
“So we cannot just be focusing on those that went to exile alone,” Nashinge said.
He argued that Namibia has produced numerous “movers and shakers” whose contributions have helped shape the country since independence.
“The emphasis is that I’m not only talking about Sean alone, but there are many movers and shakers in this country. Industrialists, medical doctors, police officers, nurses, teachers, educators, and so on and so on,” he said.
His comments mirror concerns raised by Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) Deputy President and member of parliament Kalimbo Iipumbu, who has called on the government and parliament to review the criteria governing national honours.
Iipumbu said Namibia should recognise exceptional achievements in fields including education, science, medicine, sport, culture, human rights, business and environmental conservation.
“For too long, our national honours have remained locked in the archives of history,” Iipumbu said.
“While we must never diminish the sacrifices of our liberation heroes, we cannot continue to exclude exceptional Namibians in education, science, medicine, sport, culture, human rights, business, and environmental conservation simply because they did not carry a gun.”
Iipumbu said Namibia’s recognition system should reflect the realities of a country that has been independent for more than three decades.
The debate also touches on the criteria used to determine who qualifies for national hero status and burial at Heroes’ Acre, Namibia’s national shrine.
Critics have questioned whether the process is sufficiently transparent and inclusive, arguing that political and liberation credentials have historically played a significant role in determining who receives the highest forms of national recognition.
Political analyst Marias Kudumo has previously called for national honours to be expanded to include contributions from academia, business, innovation and the media.
Kudumo has also advocated for a review of the Veterans Act of 2008 to ensure that the country’s legal and recognition framework is aligned with the realities of contemporary Namibia.
Recent instances of recognition for acts outside the liberation struggle have further fuelled the debate.
The conferment of national hero status on 16-year-old Cornelius Shimwaafeni after he saved two infants from drowning was widely viewed as an example of how the concept of heroism can extend beyond the liberation narrative.
For Iipumbu, the issue is not only about who receives national honours but also about how Namibia teaches future generations about the people who have contributed to the country.
He has called for the contributions of national heroes to be incorporated more meaningfully into the school curriculum, saying learners should be exposed to the liberation struggle while also learning about Namibians who have advanced society through other forms of service.
“The question is: what kind of heroes do we want to inspire the next generation?” Iipumbu asked.
The debate has placed Namibia at a crossroads over how it remembers its past while defining its future.
Nashinge’s call for recognition of drivers, nurses, cleaners, police officers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, industrialists and entrepreneurs reflects a broader argument that heroism can be found not only in historic acts of political resistance but also in decades of everyday service.
“We must preserve our history while creating space to recognise the people who are building the Namibia of tomorrow,” Iipumbu said.
Opposition parties signaled their intention to raise the matter in parliament, to debate over national heroism into a wider discussion about national honours, historical memory and what it means to serve Namibia in the post-independence era.
