The remains of former Robben Island political prisoners Festus Nehale and Simon Petrus Niilenge, along with 84 ancestral remains, have finally arrived at the Hosea Kutako International Airport this morning.

Many described this as not only a homecoming but also a restoration of the dignity, identity, and connection with their homeland.

The anti-apartheid freedom fighters, Niilenge and Nehale, once left their motherland alive to become political prisoners in South Africa.

Today, Namibians gathered at the Hosea Kutako International Airport to welcome the return of the remains of the liberation heroes in caskets.

Nehale and Niilenge were imprisoned on Robben Island during the liberation struggle and died in captivity in the 1970s.

Their remains were buried in Cape Town for more than five decades.

Along with the ancestral remains belonging to Aawambo, San, Nama, Damara, and Ovaherero, as well as associated casts and cultural heritage materials taken during the colonial era.

The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Dr Sanet Steenkamp led a delegation of families, traditional leaders, heritage experts, and government officials who were involved in the process of recovering and repatriating the remains.

“We do not see this, as a country, as simply a transfer of remains and heritage materials from one country to another. To us, who were boarding the Namibian Air Force plane today, and to all of us present, this is a homecoming. The journey did not begin in Cape Town, nor did it begin with the exhumation. Its roots lie in a commitment made by the two countries to confront the unresolved legacies of our shared history.”

This marks the completion of a successful repatriation mission.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah described the homecoming as a moment of national reflection, gratitude, and pride.

"The promise has been kept. Our nationals have returned to the warm soil of the country for whose freedom they gave their lives. Their arrival in Namibia marks an important step in addressing that history of our country. No ceremony can return the years that were lost, nor can words erase the pain you have endured. Yet, through this homecoming, our nation reaffirms that our people and their sacrifices were not forgotten and that their place in the history of Namibia remains enduring.”

The repatriation followed renewed cooperation between the two countries after the Robben Island reunion in September 2025.

“I convey our sincere gratitude to my dear brother, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, for his leadership and commitment in making this historical homecoming possible. The return of our fallen heroes is also a powerful reminder of the enduring bonds of solidarity, shared history, and cooperation between our two nations and people,” added the Head of State.

The remains will be kept at the Police Forensic Science Institute for the next stage of the process.

Preparations for the reburial and commemorative programme on Monday are underway to give families and the nation an opportunity to honour those who have finally returned home.