{"id":96304,"date":"2017-07-10T02:47:39","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T00:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/a-man-called-hope-the-legacy-of-namibias-andimba-toivo-ya-toivo-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2017-07-10T02:47:39","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T00:47:39","slug":"a-man-called-hope-the-legacy-of-namibias-andimba-toivo-ya-toivo-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/a-man-called-hope-the-legacy-of-namibias-andimba-toivo-ya-toivo-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"A man called Hope: the legacy of Namibia’s Andimba Toivo ya Toivo | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

A man called Hope: the legacy of Namibia’s Andimba Toivo ya Toivo<\/a>: <\/p>\n

Funeral of Namibian liberation struggle hero Herman Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo at Heroes' Acre in Windhoek. <\/span> GCIS<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Namibia has seen an unprecedented outpouring of grief following the death of liberation struggle hero Andimba Toivo ya Toivo. It was matched by vibrant social media commentary.<\/p>\n

Comments suggest that many regarded him as an icon of the Namibian liberation struggle, although he never became the official leader of the liberation movement, South West Africa People\u2019s Organisation (SWAPO), nor independent Namibia\u2019s President. <\/p>\n

These political leadership positions were firmly occupied by Sam Nujoma, who served three terms as president after 1990. On his retirement in 2005 he was declared the official \u201cFounding Father of the Namibian Nation\u201d.<\/p>\n

In the wake of Toivo\u2019s death some commentators claimed that he would perhaps have been a more deserving recipient of such an honorary title. These contestations are indicative of the internal politics of SWAPO, still Namibia\u2019s ruling party by a large margin. They were dismissed quickly though, most publicly by Namibia\u2019s First Lady Monica Geingos. <\/p>\n

Irrespective, Toivo (92) received unprecedented accolades as a \u201crevolutionary hero\u201d. Thousands attended memorial services held for him across the country. Innumerable tributes were published in Namibia, South Africa, and on the continent, and beyond. <\/p>\n

Namibian President Hage Geingob delivered an extraordinary eulogy during the national memorial service of 23 June. He emphasised Toivo\u2019s significance, saying:<\/p>\n

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We have lost a man who epitomises the core ideals that make us the nation we are today. \u2026 His durable principles and inexhaustible reservoir of compassion, forgiveness, patience and sense of justice allowed him to shun the murky waters of greed and factionalism<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A day later Geingob called at the burial site to honour Toivo\u2019s legacy through commitment to fighting tribalism and racism, poverty and corruption. He was given a state funeral at the Namibian National Heroes Acre in Windhoek. <\/p>\n

Remarkably, Geingob\u2019s historical account named a full list of the Ovamboland People\u2019s Congress founders in Cape Town in 1957, which included a number of early activists who later fell out of favour with SWAPO, such as Emil Appolus, Andreas Shipanga, Otillie Schimming Abrahams, and Kenneth Abrahams.<\/p>\n

This historical honesty paid due respect to the man. In the party he co-founded Toivo\u2019s frank attitude was not always welcome. In 2007 he failed to be re-elected to the SWAPO Politburo. Rumours had it at the time that he was too sympathetic to the Rally for Democracy and Progress, a break-away party from SWAPO. He denied this. In 2012 he was finally made a permanent member of SWAPO\u2019s Central Committee.<\/p>\n

Who was this inspiring man, and what remains of his legacy?<\/p>\n

A revolutionary hero<\/h2>\n

Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo was born in 1924 in Omangudu in northern Namibia. He received primary school education from the Finnish Lutheran mission (\u2018Toivo\u2019 means \u2018hope\u2019 in Finnish). During World War 2 Toivo was a soldier with the South African Native Military Corps. He then attended the Anglican St Mary\u2019s Odibo school, where he qualified and worked as a teacher. <\/p>\n

In 1951 Toivo moved to Cape Town. In the Cape he became involved with South African anti-apartheid organisations, including the African National Congress and left-wing student movements. In 1957 he formed the Ovamboland People\u2019s Congress, forerunner of the Namibian liberation organisation South West Africa People\u2019s Organisation (SWAPO). <\/p>\n

Because of his activism he was deported to Namibia, where he continued his anti-apartheid and Namibian nationalist politics. In 1966 Toivo was arrested by the South African authorities. The following year \u201cThe state v. Tuhadeleni and 36 Others\u201d trial opened in Pretoria. Toivo appeared as Accused No. 21. The trial was the first under South Africa\u2019s Terrorism Act of 21 June 1967.<\/p>\n

With a powerful speech from the dock Toivo drew international attention to the Namibian liberation struggle. He is best remembered internationally for his statement that Namibians were not South Africans and that they should not be tried by South Africans under \u201cforeign\u201d law.<\/p>\n

Sentenced to 20 years in prison he spent 16 years on Robben Island, where he became close to Mandela. In 1984 he was released and joined SWAPO in exile.<\/p>\n

After Namibian independence in 1990 Toivo served in the SWAPO government in various portfolios.<\/p>\n

Against greed and division<\/h2>\n

In 2005 Toivo retired from official politics with a farewell speech in the Namibian parliament. The veteran liberation fighter issued a stern warning against greed and self-enrichment among those who had come to power in post-liberation governments: <\/p>\n

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Being a member of parliament or even a minister should not be seen as an opportunity to achieve status, to be addressed as \u201chonourables\u201d and to acquire riches. If those are your goals, you would do better to pursue other careers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Toivo did not only speak out against post-liberation scourges raising their ugly heads in Namibia. In 2014 he also addressed a warning to South African politicians.<\/p>\n

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We did not struggle for you to loot<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In his later years Toivo also raised his voice against what he perceived as the rise of tribalism in post-colonial Namibia. In an interview with the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation he called on his compatriots to, \u201cforget about this tribalism. It will never take you anywhere, but it causes destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n