The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) says its former parliamentarian, Erasmus ‘Captain’ Hendjala, was always keen on uniting people.
Hendjala died at a hospital at Ongwediva on Friday.
He was 78.
RDP member of parliament Kennedy Shekupakela says: “Captain Hendjala was one of the few people who was uniting the people in the party and was always making jokes with all party members.
He will be greatly missed for his teachings and guidance.”
He extends his condolences and prayers to Hendjala’s family.
A family representative says a memorial service is scheduled for tomorrow at the Hendjala residence at Oinyikanyika-Olupandu village at Etayi in the Omusati region.
Hendjala will be laid to rest on Saturday at Oinyikanyika cemetery.
He was a former Swapo councillor for the Hakahana constituency (now the Moses //Garoëb constituency) and Tobias Hainyeko from 1993 until August 2008.
He joined the RDP in 2008 following his abrupt expulsion from Swapo for violating the party’s constitution.
Moses //Garoëb constituency councillor Stefanus Ndengu of Swapo says while he did not serve with Hendjala, based on what he has heard from the people, Hendjala was a good leader.
“He was the first constituency councillor at the time when the constituency was known as Hakahana, which was changed to Moses //Garoëb in 2015,” he says.
“What later happened was just politics, which is the nature of being a councillor,” Ndengu says.
Hendjala served as the editor-in-chief of the Roman Catholic monthly newsletter, Omukuni from 1977 to 1989 and was a reporter and translator for government newspaper New Era from 1990 to 1991.
He was a Swapo Hakahana district coordinator from 1993 to 1998, and Swapo information secretary, treasurer and chairman in the Brakwater area and Windhoek.
Hendjala was a member of the National Council for the Khomas region from 1993 to 2004, and a member of the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts and economy.
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