Placido Hilukilwa
HADINO Hishongwa, a veteran of the liberation struggle, retired politician and diplomat, and the Senior Traditional Vouncilor for the Omhedi District of Oukwanyama, is no more.
The 80-year-old Hishongwa died in the Ongwediva Medipark private hospital last night.
Likius Kakololo, the head of protocol at Queen Martha Nelumbu’s Omhedi Palace, confirmed Hishongwa’s passing. He said that the Queen was already informed informally shortly past midnight.
“The [Omhedi] district is now expected to formally inform the Queen. Only after that will the traditional authority make an official announcement,” said Kakololo.
Hishongwa is described as a founding member of Swapo; was a field commander of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), studied in Tanzania, Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Sweden, and represented Swapo in several countries, including the Nordic countries, Australia, East Africa and West Africa.
He was a member of the Constituent Assembly that unanimously adopted the Namibian constitution in 1989/1990 and was a member of parliament for fifteen years.
At the age of 47 he was the oldest leader of the Swapo Youth League.
Between 1990 and 2005 Hishongwa served as deputy minister in three different portfolios.
In the 1990s, as a deputy minister, attempted to address the issue of unemployed former combatants, but was taken hostage by the demonstrators at the Old Compound in Windhoek and was only freed after the intervention of senior politicians and the police’s Task Force (now Special Reserve Force).
His last posting was as High Commissioner to Botswana.
Upon retirement, he joined the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority as head of the Omhedi District, the seat of the Oukwanyama Palace.
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