Retired Brigadier General Frederick Sankwasa Siluzungila, whose liberation struggle combat name was “Copper”, has recounted his journey into exile and his years as a fighter in the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), saying he left Namibia in 1975 because he believed freedom had to be fought for.
Speaking to New Era about his liberation struggle experience, Siluzungila, who hails from Ngoma area, said his journey began against the backdrop of political activism within his own family and growing resistance to South African rule.
“I left this country in 1975 to join the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia, the armed wing of Swapo,” he said.
Siluzungila said he was among a group of about 360 Namibians who left the country in 1975, driven by the desire to join the liberation struggle.
For him, the decision was influenced by his family, several members of which were already involved in political activities.
He said his family had links to the Caprivi African National Union (CANU), a movement that emerged in the 1960s under the leadership of Brendan Simbwaye.
“My father was active. My sister and my brother were active,” he recalled.
His brother left Namibia in 1964, while his father fled to Botswana in 1967 because of political persecution. Siluzungila later followed the same path, having spent part of his schooling in Cabinda in 1968.
He said political discussion inside Namibia at the time was heavily restricted, forcing those opposed to apartheid rule to organise secretly.
“Home politics, it was not allowed to talk about Swapo, to talk about anything. So everything was in hiding,” he said.
Inspired by the voice of Namibia
Siluzungila said his determination to join the liberation struggle was also strengthened by listening to the Voice of Namibia, which broadcast from outside the country.
He remembers being particularly moved by revolutionary songs and the broadcasts of radio presenter Sacky Namugongo.
“When he could speak on the Voice of Namibia as a radio caster, you could hear. And the songs… the revolutionary songs,” he said.
The broadcasts gave young Namibians outside and inside the country a sense that a larger struggle was under way.
“You could feel. The hair could move. Then we said, ‘Why are we still here? Why can’t we go and join these brave sons and daughters of Namibia?” Siluzungila recalled.
In 1975, he and hundreds of others made the decision to leave Namibia and join the armed struggle.
From recruit to commander
Siluzungila’s journey took him through several countries and military institutions.
He initially received military training in Zambia, before undergoing officer-cadet training in Tanzania.
He later travelled to the Soviet Union, where he received further military education, including training in Sevastopol, Ukraine, and at a military academy in Moscow.
His experience eventually saw him rise through the PLAN ranks, from platoon commander to company commander.
In Angola, he served in political and military leadership roles at the Tobias Hainyeko Training Centre, eventually becoming second-in-command.
He later served as chief of operations on the Northwestern Front, an area he referred to as Ombalantu, where he remained involved in military operations until independence.
“My journey looks like a dark episode. A dark episode — you don’t know where you are going to, but you know where you are coming from,” Siluzungila said.
He said the years of exile were marked by uncertainty, military training and the constant possibility of death, but the objective remained clear: returning home to a free Namibia.
‘Independence means a lot’
Reflecting on the meaning of independence more than three decades after Namibia gained its freedom in 1990, Siluzungila said the country had achieved important gains.
“Independence to me means a lot,” he said.
He pointed to democracy, freedom of speech, the rule of law and peace as some of the key fruits of independence.
He also highlighted government programmes such as free education, social grants, support for veterans and access to medical services.
“For me, independence brought what we call democracy, what we call freedom, what we call rule of law,” he said.
Siluzungila, however, acknowledged that Namibia is still a relatively young country compared with nations that have been independent for much longer.
He said Namibia should therefore continue building on the gains made since 1990.
A message to the ‘born-free’ generation
For Siluzungila, the responsibility of protecting Namibia’s independence now rests largely with the younger generation.
He expressed concern about what he described as a lack of focus among some young Namibians, particularly regarding education, alcohol abuse and dependence on politics for employment.
“Our youth today, they look to have no focus,” he said.
He challenged young people to treat education as a tool for building the country rather than simply obtaining certificates.
“We liberated this country. So, this is your time to make sure that you defend this country. You defend democracy. You defend freedom. You defend your Constitution, which is the fundamental law of this country,” Siluzungila said.
He also urged parents to play a stronger role in preparing their children for independence and responsibility.
He said he raised his own children to be self-reliant, explaining that after graduating they had to find their own way rather than relying on him to secure employment for them.
“Sometimes the parents are the ones that spoil their kids,” he said.
‘I can still contribute’
Siluzungila, who also served as a teacher, trainer and commandant of a military school, said his experience gives him a unique understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of young people.
“I know them when they are in Osona for training. I know their weakness, their strength,” he said.
At the age of retirement, he believes his contribution to Namibia is not over.
“I can contribute to bringing up our kids,” he said.
For Siluzungila, the decision he and hundreds of other young Namibians made in 1975 was ultimately about ensuring that future generations would not have to live under colonial rule.
They left their homes, families and country, endured military training and faced the uncertainties of exile so that Namibia could eventually become a sovereign state.
His story, he said, is therefore not only a personal account of military service but part of the broader story of the Namibians who sacrificed their youth and, in many cases, their lives for independence.
The post ‘We left Namibia to fight for our freedom’ — Siluzungila appeared first on New Era.
