Allexer Namundjembo
During the state memorial service in Rundu, President Nangolo Mbumba honoured Founding President Sam Nujoma for recognizing that independence without food security was meaningless.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security, Dr Albert Kawana at the Rundu Sports Stadium, Nujoma’s focus on green schemes in the Kavango regions to boost agriculture was lauded.
“Our Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation had a passion for agriculture. He realized that independence without food security was meaningless. It is against this background that one of the most visited regions during his lifetime was Kavango East and Kavango West. He promoted green schemes near rivers, and the two Kavango regions played a pivotal role in this regard,” Kawana said.
Kawana further emphasized that Nujoma understood that agriculture and water go hand in hand.
“He was a staunch supporter of desalination, which he passionately referred to as the solution to water scarcity,” he added.
Kavango West regional governor, Sirkka Ausiku during the signing of the book of condolences last week, said that the late Founding President ensured that all green schemes in Kavango were fully functional.
In her message of condolences, Ausiku reflected that Nujoma viewed the then-Kavango as the food basket of Namibia.
She fondly remembered Nujoma’s unwavering encouragement for the region to prioritize agriculture, a legacy that continues to inspire growth and self-sufficiency.
“The region joins the nation in mourning the loss of a visionary leader, who dedicated his life to the progress and unity of Namibia. We will remember him for encouraging us to get involved in agriculture. During his time, our green schemes were fully operational at full scale. Our Founding President was also passionate about education. His wish was for all Namibian children to be in school,” she said.
She added that Nujoma’s dedication to ensuring food security and self-sufficiency for his people was evident in the policies he championed and the projects he personally supported.
Kalimbeza Rice project manager Patrick Kompeli, in an interview with New Era last week, shared how Nujoma wanted to see that Namibian citizens would not go to bed on an empty stomach.
“His dream was to see Namibia as one of the rice producers in Africa. One such initiative is the Kalimbeza Rice Project in the Zambezi Region, where Nujoma actively participated in the transplanting of rice between 2008 and 2010. Our Founding Father had agriculture at heart,” Kompeli recalled.
He added that Nujoma’s passion for agricultural growth was not just political rhetoric, but a cause he embodied through action.
“His hands-on participation in projects like Kalimbeza symbolized his belief that Namibia had the potential to become a food-secure nation,” he said.
Kompeli believes that Nujoma’s legacy in agriculture was one of resilience, vision, and determination.
“As we remember Dr. Sam Nujoma, we celebrate not only his role as the architect of Namibia’s independence but also his deep-rooted commitment to the land and the people who cultivate it. His dream of a food-secure Namibia lives on, inspiring farmers, policymakers, and all those who strive to turn his vision into reality,” he said.
The Kalimbeza Rice Project was initiated by Nujoma and was re-established in 2001 with the aim of producing rice for the Zambezi region and the country at large.
The project is situated 56 km from Katima Mulilo Town on the Ngoma Road in the Zambezi Region.
It covers a total area of 200 hectares, of which 90 hectares are dedicated to commercial rice production.
It was declared a national project by former President Hifikepunye Pohamba in 2009.
