Mourners from different walks of life gathered at Parliament Gardens to remember the life and times of the iconic national composer and writer of the National Anthem, Axali Doëseb.

The late Doëseb died on October 27 at Lady Pohamba Private Hospital.

As is customary at any national event, the national anthem preceded the memorial of the man who composed the anthem that gave Namibia its identity.

This time around, it is safe to assume the national anthem evoked different emotions among mourners and those that followed the proceedings on live television.

In a speech read on his behalf, President Hage Geingob says that Doëseb's legacy of fostering national unity through music will be part of Namibian history for centuries.

"He will be remembered as a man who held his country and his people at heart. He was a man who understood the important role that his musical talents could play in serving the greater cause of uniting the Namibian people. His legacy of fostering national unity through music will be part of Namibian history, immortalized through the National Anthem, which defines the people who have achieved their hard-won political freedom."

Speaker after speaker described Doëseb as a humble artistic man who contributed to the liberation of the country through his music and gave Namibia its identity. 

The family of Doëseb described him as a dedicated family man.

Founding President Sam Nujoma and former President Hifikepunye Pohamba, in messages read on their behalf, highlighted the contribution of Axali Doëseb to nation-building.