President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Namibians to recommit themselves to the values that carried them through the darkest chapters of the country’s history as they recall the events of Cassinga today.
These are commitments to discipline, unity of purpose, resilience, and unwavering patriotism.
Cassinga Day, commemorated on the 4th of May, serves as a remembrance of the Cassinga massacre, during which more than 600 people were killed when Apartheid South African forces attacked a SWAPO refugee camp in 1978.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah described Cassinga Day as a stark reminder of the cruelty of the apartheid South African occupation regime.
“It was on this day that innocent refugees, mostly women and children, were viciously and inhumanely attacked by a minority regime intent on crushing the will of our people. Instead of breaking our spirit, this massacre only strengthened the resolve of our people to fight for justice, dignity, and independence,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
She paid special homage to Namibia’s late Founding President and SWAPO Party leader, Sam Nujoma, whom she says led the liberation movement with unwavering determination from the formation of SWAPO in 1960 until 2007.
Nandi-Ndaitwah added, “Under his visionary leadership, before and after independence, our struggle advanced from resistance to nationhood. May he, along with all our brave fallen comrades, be eternally remembered for their courage, sacrifices, and selfless service to the Namibian people. The apartheid regime thought that by attacking Cassinga, they could kill the spirit of our revolution. However, they were wrong.”
The Namibian leader called on the nation to redouble efforts to implement the SWAPO Party Election Manifesto and its Implementation Plan at all levels of governance for the next five years.
Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that this ought to be done in memory of the Cassinga martyrs, and that it should remain a guiding light in building a united, just, peaceful, and prosperous Namibia.
The President also appealed for unity and support for the 8th Administration, adding, “As we march toward the second phase of our struggle for the economic emancipation of each and every Namibian.”