28 June 2011
Windhoek — Liberation struggle hero, John ya Otto Nankudhu would be accorded a State funeral, announced the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr Albert Kawana yesterday.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba under the powers vested in him by Article 32 (3) (h) of the Namibian Constitution has conferred the honour of national hero on the late Nankudhu, a statement signed by Kawana said yesterday.
The President has directed that a State funeral be held in honour of the first commander of the Swapo-Party armed wing and former Samora Machel constituency councillor. As from Thursday, all flags in Namibia will fly at half-mast until the funeral which is a period of national mourning.
Further announcements on funeral arrangements will be made after consultations with family members of the late Nankudhu. The 78-year old Nankudhu reportedly collapsed and died while coming from the bathroom at a compound where he lived while waiting for the completion of his house.
Nankudhu was found guilty under the Terrorism Act in 1967 and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island where he spent 18 years before his release in 1985.
He is survived by his wife and five children.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Nankudhu Declared National Hero, to Get State Funeral