Justicia Shipena
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has conferred national hero status on the late Solomon “Jesus” Hawala and authorised a state funeral for him, despite a moratorium on such honours and opposition from survivors of the Lubango dungeons.
The decision comes despite calls from Lubango dungeon survivors and activists who opposed granting Hawala a state funeral.
Some urged the Nandi-Ndaitwah to “refrain from granting him a state funeral.”
Hawala will be buried in Ongwediva on 6 September 2025. He was born on 17 August 1935 and died on 11 August 2025 in a local hospital at the age of 89.
Last month, the cabinet announced a moratorium on official funerals until March 2026 to review the criteria for such honours.
While the moratorium is in place, the president retains constitutional powers to confer national honours.
Nandi-Ndaitwah did not exercise these powers in June when Moses Amweelo, a former minister and liberation struggle veteran, was buried shortly after the moratorium was imposed.
The presidency said Nandi-Ndaitwah recognises Hawala for his military service, leadership, and dedication to Namibia’s liberation and nation-building.
“His legacy remains a symbol of courage, patriotism, and commitment to the ideals of freedom and independence,” the statement said.
Survivors of the Lubango dungeons opposed the decision.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group known as The Conquerors – Survivors of Lubango Dungeons & Other Atrocities in Exile – said the debate over Hawala’s funeral had “struck a raw nerve” among survivors and families of those who disappeared.
“Hawala and his fellow torturers in exile were/are not heroes to all Namibians,” the group said.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Lefa Martin said to thousands of liberation fighters and civilians who were detained, tortured, and left permanently scarred, or who died or ‘disappeared’ without justice, “Hawala was, and remains, the chief architect and executor of some of the worst heinous human rights violations ever committed against his own people in exile,” said Martin
The group said granting him a state funeral “would insult the memory of those who suffered or died under his orders”.
“It would also set a dangerous precedent that gross human rights violations can be rewarded with national honours, undermining Namibia’s constitutional values of justice, human dignity, and accountability,”he said.
The group expressed disappointment that Nandi-Ndaitwah “has chosen to publicly shower accolades” on Hawala.
The group expressed their disgust that the president, a mother and grandmother who understands the pain of childbirth, would even consider lifting the moratorium to honour Hawala, a murderer.
They urged leaders to remember that “honouring the dead must never mean dishonouring the truth” and called for confronting all aspects of Namibia’s liberation history.
Human rights activist Phil ya Nangolo, who leads NamRights, told Windhoek Observer earlier this week that Nandi-Ndaitwah should “refrain from according ‘Jesus’ a state or any official funeral at all.”
Earlier this week, Nandi-Ndaitwah and veterans’ organisations paid tribute to Hawala.
“Comrade Hawala’s commitment…places him alongside icons and heroes who waged war and contributed to the independence of Namibia,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
Namibia National Liberation Veterans Association president Ben Shikongo also supported Hawala’s recognition and called for his burial at Heroes Acre.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa described him as “a fearless freedom fighter who struck fear into the hearts of oppressors and ignited hope in the souls of the oppressed.” She said his death had left a void among Swapo supporters and Namibians.
State funerals remain a point of public debate due to costs.In April, prime minister Elijah Ngurare revealed that state and official funerals cost taxpayers N$38.4 million in the 2024/2025 financial year.
