ENDJALA MEMORIAL LECTURE HONOURS BUSINESS LEGACY - nbc

The inaugural John Akapandi Endjala Annual Memorial Lecture took place on 4 June, coinciding with what would have been the late businessman’s birthday. The event honoured a man speakers described as a humanitarian, a strategic entrepreneur and a steadfast champion of black economic empowerment. Speakers at the memorial said Endjala dedicated his life to advancing the interests of black businesspeople through the Indigenous Peoples' Business Forum and later the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They praised him for not exposing or speaking negatively about the financial struggles of black entrepreneurs and for his commitment to fair and transparent decision-making. His widow, Penny Endjala, remembered him as more than an entrepreneur and leader, describing him as a generous and humble visionary whose work uplifted communities across Namibia. She said he supported schools, hostels, churches and clinics and kept his office open to those seeking assistance, treating it like a clinic where anyone could queue for advice and guidance. Lawyer Sisa Namandje, delivering the memorial lecture, framed Endjala's legacy in constitutional terms. He said Endjala devoted his life to restoring human dignity to Black Namibians and argued that the Constitution's promise of the pursuit of happiness cannot be realised without tangible economic-transformation policies. Namandje recalled how Endjala, who died four years ago, personally enabled him to begin his legal career.