Do not destroy Nujoma’s character: Esau

WINDHOEK, 25 FEB (NAMPA) - Former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernhardt Esau, says that in remembering the late Founding President, Sam Nujoma, Namibians should honour him as a hero whose character as a leader should not be betrayed.
Esau, who is facing multiple corruption charges in connection with the alleged bribery and allocation of fishing quotas to Icelandic fishing company Samherji, was arrested in November 2019.
He is charged alongside former Minister of Justice Sacky Shanghala, former Investec Asset Management Managing Director James Hatuikulipi, Nigel van Wyk, Ricardo Gustavo, Pius Mwatelula, Phillipus Mwapopi and Otneel Shuudifonya.
Esau spoke to Nampa on the sidelines of his trial at the Windhoek High Court on Tuesday.
“We must remember what he taught us, and we should not betray his character as a leader, the founding father. What we have learned from him is for us to take the flag and march forward with the flag. The passing of the founding father was shocking, although he was already over 90 years,” Esau said.
Esau served under Nujoma’s leadership as Deputy Minister of Trade from 1999 to 2010.
“His discipline must be advanced. We must advance his thinking of protecting our freedoms, we must advance his aspirations for Namibia to become a developed country, not just to leave Namibia as a developing state. We know our Founding President has been a Commander-in-Chief. He took this very struggle of ours, the struggle for liberation through military means, to the international world on the diplomatic front. He went to the UN and put forward the case of Namibia,” Esau added.
One of his fondest memories with Nujoma, he explained, was when he represented him at a Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit as a young man.
“It was really great working with him as a young man at the time. When he appointed me to Parliament, he took me on missions. When I was Deputy Minister of Trade, he took me to the COMESA summit when we were still members. He took me, and I had to stand in for him there. He left me alone with the Namibian delegation and I spoke on behalf of Namibia,” Esau said.
(NAMPA)
EB/HP/AS