Mbumba wants Cassinga lessons taught in schools
STAFF REPORTER
Windhoek
President Nangolo Mbumba wants the despair and triumph that took place during the Cassinga massacre 46 years ago integrated into the country’s education curriculum.
A teacher by training, Mbumba said this will ensure that future generations understand the significance of the tragic event in Namibia’s history.
“By teaching current and future generations about the sacrifices made by those who came before us, we will instil in them a sense of responsibility to uphold and cherish the values of freedom, justice and equality,” he said in his Cassinga Day statement on Saturday.
Mbumba said the air raid by South African apartheid troops on the Cassinga camp in southern Angola 46 years ago will forever go down in Namibian history as a massacre and is a reminder of the brutality of apartheid.
It is crucial to remember what “the country’s long and protracted struggle for independence inflicted on Namibians,” he added.
The attack, which took place on 4 May 1978, lasted about four hours.
“The lasting trauma and scars suffered by survivors and their descendants continue to impact individuals and communities, and remind Namibians of the importance of healing, remembrance, reconciliation and nation-building,” Mbumba said.
“The darkness and scars of Cassinga on the survivors and Namibians in general are still with us. In fact, they will continue to serve as a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination of the Namibian people in their fight for their inalienable right to freedom.”
Cassinga Day reminds us that we are a nation forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by the trials of history, the president noted.
- Additional reporting by Brigitte Weidlich
Windhoek
President Nangolo Mbumba wants the despair and triumph that took place during the Cassinga massacre 46 years ago integrated into the country’s education curriculum.
A teacher by training, Mbumba said this will ensure that future generations understand the significance of the tragic event in Namibia’s history.
“By teaching current and future generations about the sacrifices made by those who came before us, we will instil in them a sense of responsibility to uphold and cherish the values of freedom, justice and equality,” he said in his Cassinga Day statement on Saturday.
Mbumba said the air raid by South African apartheid troops on the Cassinga camp in southern Angola 46 years ago will forever go down in Namibian history as a massacre and is a reminder of the brutality of apartheid.
It is crucial to remember what “the country’s long and protracted struggle for independence inflicted on Namibians,” he added.
The attack, which took place on 4 May 1978, lasted about four hours.
“The lasting trauma and scars suffered by survivors and their descendants continue to impact individuals and communities, and remind Namibians of the importance of healing, remembrance, reconciliation and nation-building,” Mbumba said.
“The darkness and scars of Cassinga on the survivors and Namibians in general are still with us. In fact, they will continue to serve as a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination of the Namibian people in their fight for their inalienable right to freedom.”
Cassinga Day reminds us that we are a nation forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by the trials of history, the president noted.
- Additional reporting by Brigitte Weidlich
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