Allexer Namundjeb

The family of the late Immanuel Gotlieb Ndemulungila Nathaniel, popularly known as Maxuilili, has opposed the reported government decision to exhume his remains from Walvis Bay and rebury them at Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek.

Keshi Pelao Nathanael, Maxuilili’s brother said they had been informed that the exhumation is scheduled for Friday, 31 July.

“My brother was laid to rest 27 years ago in Walvis Bay where he lived, worked, served the people, served house arrest, and built the political legacy for which he is remembered today. His burial there was a deliberate decision made because that town had become his home and the community he faithfully served,” the statement reads.

He said this in a press release issued on Thursday.

According to the family, the decision has caused deep distress, as they were not formally consulted or provided with the legal basis for the planned exhumation.

They further argue that the move reopens old wounds surrounding Maxuilili’s death and could interfere with ongoing police investigations.