Matias Ndakolo

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Matias 'Mbulunganga' Ndakolo (born 25 December 1943-04 December 2018) was a revered military commander and a guerrilla fighter of the People Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) a military wing of South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO). He was a founding PLAN commander of north-east front during Namibian War of Indepedence. [1]

Contents

Early Life

Mbulunganga Ndakolo was born in Iilagati village in Ohangwena region and lived in Eenghango in the northen part of Namibia. As a young man at the time, he hunted for a job in the contract labour system. He was contracted for 18 months as a farm worker at Grootfontein. [2] After his contract lapsed, he secured another 18 months contract as farm labourer in Tsumeb. He subsequently moved to Walvis Bay where he was politically conscientise through his interaction with fellow Namibians such as Sam Nujoma, Mzee Kaukungua and Kenyatta. In 1959 Mbulunganga Ndakolo left Walvis Bay to Kavango in persue of green pasture. It was here where he secured a luctrive contract to go work at Johannnesburg mine for four years. Due to harsh condition of contract labour system he endured, Mbulunganga Ndakolo opted to cross into Angola and joined People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). Thereafter he went through military training in Tanzania and he was sent to Algeria for further military training for two years. After he completed his military training he was deployed at front as a military commander of B detachment on the Angola border between Zambia and Congo. [2]

PLAN career

Mbulunganga Ndakolo joined OPO in 1959 and subsequently became a SWAPO member in 1960. He left MPLA and joined SWAPO military wing PLAN in 1964 in Lusaka, Zamibia after the military training in Soviet Union 1964. He begun conducting military operationin Namibia in the area of Katima Mulilo and accross Cuando river in Angola. [3]

Honours and decorations

Although Mbulunganga Ndakolo was unable to serve in independent Namibia Defence Force (NDF) due to ill-health, he was conferred an hononary military rank of a colonel in the Namibian Defence Force in 2007. [4]

Death

Colonel Mbulunganga Ndakolo died at the age of 75 on 04 December 2018 and he was accorded a state funeral by President Hage Geigob and he was laid to rest at Eenhana memorial shrine on 15 December 2018. [5] [6] [7] [8]

References

  1. ↑ Reporter, Staff (2013-12-06). "Matias Ndakolo Mbulunganga: The Singing MPLA Soldier and PLAN Combatant (1943…)" . Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  2. 1 2 Reporter, Staff (2013-12-06). "Matias Ndakolo Mbulunganga: The Singing MPLA Soldier and PLAN Combatant (1943…)" . Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  3. ↑ NUJOMA, SAM (15 December 2018). "TRIBUTE BY H. E. DR. SAM NUJOMA, FOUNDING PRESIDENT AND FATHER OF THE NAMIBIAN NATION, ON THE OCCASION OF THE STATE FUNERAL IN HONOUR OF THE LATE COLONEL MATIAS "MBULUNGANGA" NDAKOLO" (PDF). https://samnujomafoundation.org . Retrieved 19 February 2025.{{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  4. ↑ Sun, Namibian; Kambowe, Kenya (2018-12-13). "Iconic Mbulunganga hailed". Namibian Sun. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  5. ↑ Namibian, The (2018-12-05). "Plan fighter 'Mbulunganga' dies". The Namibian. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  6. ↑ Reporter, Staff (2018-12-12). "Plan commander Matias Ndakolo accorded state funeral" . Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  7. ↑ "Mbulunganga dies". Namibia Daily News. 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
  8. ↑ Sun, Namibian; Kambowe, Kenya (2018-12-17). "Funeral uproar spreads". Namibian Sun. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
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