The late liberation struggle veteran, Ida Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros has been hailed for her commitment to the fight to liberate Namibians.
Speaking during a memorial service held at farm Snipriver on Friday, Swapo Party secretary general, Sophia Shaningwa said the late Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros was one of the daughters of the soil who played an instrumental role in mobilising Namibians against the apartheid administration, citing that she had an unwavering commitment towards addressing the plight of her fellow oppressed workers during the apartheid era.
‘Her life epitomises a self-sacrificing daughter of the Namibian soil who despite all odds, undertook to either die or else liberate her motherland. Her name shall forever be embedded in the history of our country and on the good side of those who sacrificed their lives for our eternal freedom. To the Swapo Party and the people of Namibia, she embodied and exemplified everything we hope the future generation can emulate,’ Shaningwa said.
Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros was imprisoned several
times, her first imprisonment was in 1979 at Gobabis prison, where she was in prison with her one-year-old son, Natangwe Jimmy for five months. After she was released she was placed under house arrest for one year. Again between 1980 to 1985, Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros was in prison for speaking in public saying, ‘Comrades, give the Swapo freedom fighters food and water, they are our sons, brothers and husbands.’
In a speech read on his behalf, Founding President Sam Nujoma said the late Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros despite the persecution, remained an epitome of grace and dignity and did not let bitterness engulf her heart but remained focused on the mission of achieving freedom and justice for her people.
‘She suffered persecution, imprisonment and harassment by the security apparatus of the apartheid regime, but she never wavered. Her legacy demonstrates the critical role that women played in the liberation struggle, we therefore acknowledge their immense contribution and sacrifices for our freedom and genuine independence, for
this reason, her exemplary deeds shall be remembered by the present and future generations,’ said Nujoma.
Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros died on 03 April this year at the age of 79 after a long illness. She served among others, as Keetmanshoop Urban Constituency councillor, Swapo regional coordinator for ||Kharas between 1992 and 1998, as member of the Swapo politburo and central committee and Swapo head of elections as well as district coordinator for Lderitz.
She will be laid to rest at farm Snipriver on Saturday.
Source: Namibia Press Agency