Homecoming marks 'significant milestone' for Namibia
Namibia has received the remains of two former Robben Island political prisoners and 84 ancestral remains repatriated from South Africa, in a ceremony that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah described as a significant milestone in restoring dignity, identity and a sense of belonging.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah received the remains at Hosea Kutako International Airport on Friday. In remarks reported by Informanté, she said: "After decades of separation, we have gathered to receive the remains of 84 of our ancestors, whose remains were kept at Iziko Museum in South Africa. Their arrival in Namibia marks an important step in addressing that history."
The remains of Comrades Festus Nehale and Simon Petrus Niilenge, who were imprisoned on Robben Island for their political involvement in the liberation struggle, were also received. "Today is a heavy day. It is also a day of profound reflection, solemn gratitude and deep national pride," the President said, as quoted by Informanté.
From Robben Island to Heroes' Acre
Nehale and Niilenge were among those imprisoned for their political involvement in the anti-apartheid and anti-colonial struggle. They were incarcerated on Robben Island alongside political prisoners from Namibia and South Africa, according to a statement from the Namibian Presidency reported by Informanté.
Their remains will be reburied with dignity at Heroes' Acre on Monday, 24 August 2026, the President announced. The reburial will be followed by the unveiling of their tombstones on Heroes' Day, 26 August 2026. The 84 ancestral human remains will remain in the care of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture.
Following the reception ceremony at the airport, the remains were taken to the Namibian Police Forensic Science Institute, The Namibian reported.
A period of mourning and gratitude
Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged the families who have carried the burden of uncertainty for decades. "To the families who have carried, for more than five decades, the pain of loss and the burden of uncertainty: we acknowledge your sacrifice," she said, as quoted by Informanté.
The President said that "the promise has been kept: our nationals have returned to the warm soil of the country for whose freedom they gave their lives," describing the return as "a day of profound reflection, solemn gratitude and deep national pride," according to Informanté.
The President also thanked the Namibian people for their continued support, SABC News reported.
South Africa's formal handover
The South African government formally handed over the remains of the two Namibian political prisoners who died while incarcerated at Robben Island, SABC News reported. The repatriation ceremony, held at Iziko Museum in Cape Town, also included the remains of 84 other Namibians whose mortal remains were still in South Africa, according to SABC News.
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie was the keynote speaker at the ceremony and described the event as "a moment in history in which we return mortal remains and cultural objects from the Republic of South Africa to the Republic of Namibia," as reported by SABC News.
Gratitude and reflection
McKenzie thanked the Namibian people for their support during South Africa's recent difficult period, when the country faced accusations of xenophobia, according to SABC News. He said that Namibians had stood by South Africa, even wearing t-shirts of the Bafana Bafana football team, the report said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah's statement, reported by The Namibian, said the return of the remains represents an effort to restore dignity to those whose lives and sacrifices form part of Namibia's history. The homecoming marks a moment of remembrance and national healing as Namibia honours its sons and ancestors, the president said.