Every August, Namibia bows its head to honour the men and women who fought for our freedom. Speeches are made, wreaths are laid, and slogans of One Namibia, One Nation echo across stadiums. Yet beneath the ceremonial pride lies an uncomfortable truth: the heroes of the Zambezi Region remain sidelined in our national memory.
Prince Alex Kamwi, affectionately known as “Poison” reminds us of this truth. His testimony about the Katima Attack of 1978 and the Singalamwe operations is not merely a recollection it is a stark warning. The Zambezi Region was not a footnote in the liberation struggle; it was a battlefield where apartheid’s grip was broken. It was the second-largest base of resistance after Ovamboland. But today, it is rarely given that recognition.
How is it that Caprivian martyrs like Brendan Simbwaye, Judea Lyaboloma, Chatambula Dickson Masida who was roasted on fire at Masida village and Vennety Maswahu and many others remain invisible in our monuments and schoolbooks? How is it that the Singalamwe massacre of 1968, which forced countless Namibians into exile, is scarcely remembered? We risk teaching our children a half-written history, one where some sacrifices shine while others are deliberately dimmed.
Kamwi also forces us to confront another uncomfortable question: reconciliation. We pride ourselves on unity, but what does unity mean if former members of the South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) men later integrated into our army, police, and prisons are denied recognition under the Veterans Act? Selective reconciliation is not reconciliation at all. As Kamwi rightly asks, why can we not extend even symbolic dignity yes, even financial support to those whose lives were also entangled in the struggle?
And then there is Brendan Simbwaye, the fearless CANU leader who vanished into apartheid’s dungeons. Why does Katima Mulilo not boast a statue of him at the very place of his arrest? Why has his name not been etched into Namibia’s liberation monuments? To ignore Simbwaye is not just to neglect Zambezi it is to betray the truth of our collective struggle.
The government must act. If reconciliation is to be more than a hollow slogan, it must be inclusive. If unity is to mean anything, it must embrace every region’s pain and every fighter’s sacrifice. Zambezi’s contribution to independence is not a footnote it is a chapter written in blood.
As Heroes’ Day is marked, let Namibia remember: without Zambezi, there would be no freedom. And without truth, there can be no unity. It is time to write this historical injustice. Build Simbwaye’s statue. Rewrite the history books. Recognize every fighter , PLAN, CANU, even SWATF. Only then will One Namibia, One Nation carry the weight of truth.
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By Mary Mashete
Intern Journalist: 3rd Year Student, Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies (Honours)
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