Family questions Namibia’s hero honors for Shityuwete
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The family of Helao Shityuwete questioned the Namibian government’s decision to bury the liberation struggle veteran at Gammams Cemetery instead of Heroes’ Acre, a national memorial.
They asked officials to explain why Shityuwete, who died August 29 at age 92, did not receive the full honors typically reserved for national heroes. Family spokesperson Julius Ngweda noted Shityuwete had specifically requested burial near his comrades, Andimba Toivo ya Toivo and Dimo Hamaambo, at Heroes’ Acre.
Fellow prisoners who were with Shityuwete on Robben Island, where he spent 18 years imprisoned in the 1960s, also expressed disappointment with the funeral arrangements, calling it an insult. Shityuwete had advocated for the return of other Namibian nationalists imprisoned on Robben Island and had seen his wish fulfilled prior to his death.
Ngweda emphasized Shityuwete’s lifelong commitment to Namibia’s liberation, his advocacy for workers' rights, and his founding of the Namibian Former Robben Island Prisoners Trust to support fellow veterans and their families. He stated the family appreciates the state funeral but wants future generations to understand the criteria used to honor liberation heroes. Presidential spokesperson Jonas Mbambo had not responded to requests for comment at the time of the funeral.
