HUNDREDS MOURN UERIKUA AND SON AFTER FATAL CRASH - nbc

Hundreds of mourners gathered at Otjiserandu Village in Tsumkwe Constituency to pay their last respects to the late former governor of Otjozondjupa Region and member of Parliament, James Uerikua, and his son Venturo, who tragically died in a car accident over the Easter weekend. The memorial service attracted attendees from all walks of life, including senior government officials, traditional leaders, and communities from all corners of Namibia. Ombara Sam Kambazembi of the Kambazembi Traditional Authority remembered Uerikua as a dedicated advocate for rural development and marginalised communities. He proposed that landmarks be renamed in Uerikua’s honor as a tribute to his legacy. “When we were in Otjiwarongo, I proposed that the road C22 that connects Otjiwarongo and Okakarara be renamed after him as the road that took his life and, secondly, as an educated person and exemplary leader. We have a primary school in Gam; let’s go back to our offices and rename it after him,” Kambazembi said. Panduleni Itula, leader of the IPC party, also eulogized Uerikua, highlighting his close ties to the people and his efforts to promote social progress. “We have heard the legacy of the late from his people. He was a dear person to all: his friends, young people, and the elderly. He also advocated for social progression for all and he would always say the youth should rise up and work hard and go into business. He is someone who hailed from the area he tried so hard to develop,” Itula said. He further noted Uerikua’s role in fostering youth unity through the establishment of a horse racing competition, a first of its kind in the area, and his efforts to bring traditional leaders together in unity. Swapo Party Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa expressed heartfelt condolences, describing Uerikua as a stalwart and intellectual politician. “I would like to send out heartfelt condolences to the dear mother, father, wife, and the entire family both here in Gam and Botswana. We are praying for this accident that has cost us dearly, and I’m praying for God to give us strength. My son Unomasa and my grandson Venturo, may your souls rest in eternal peace and we shall forever remember you,” Shaningwa said. Speaker of the National Assembly, Saara Kuugongelwa Amadhila, reaffirmed the nation’s loss of a principled and courageous leader. “The National Assembly has lost a sharp thinker who posed his mind without fear or favour. He was not a man given to equivocation; he said what he believed and he believed what he said. Honourable Uerikua stood apart as a towering political figure and a point of reference for his generation,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila stated. James Uerikua will be buried tomorrow.