Doëseb, Hamutenya or Ibrahim?
South African pianist also in the mix
Hidipo Hamutenya's family is adamant that he authored Namibia's national anthem, a credit officially bestowed on Axali Doëseb by state laws.
Records at parliament still state that late Swapo stalwart Hidipo Hamutenya “wrote the words for the national anthem”, a version his family yesterday maintained as true - although the National Symbols of the Republic of Namibia Act credits Axali Doëseb as the man behind the “melody, music and lyrics” of the anthem.
Doëseb's death a week ago, and State House’s announcement that he has been accorded a state funeral while his family will be receiving N$2 million, has reignited a decades-long debate about who really authored ‘Namibia, Land of the Brave’.
“The exceptional deeds of Mr Doëseb in the writing and composition of the national anthem, ‘Namibia, Land of the Brave’, shine bright and shall not be forgotten,” the presidency said yesterday, quoting the National Symbols of the Republic of Namibia Act which credits Doëseb with nearly everything regarding the song.
Minister in the presidency Christine //Hoebes, however, added fuel to the fire when she over the weeekend said “we cannot totally and completely attribute the crafting of the national anthem to one person only”, adding that a committee was responsible.
“He was one of the committee members. Some provided the lyrics, some provided the tunes and the melody. He is the one who provided the melody,” //Hoebes said at the annual Gaob Festival, held on Saturday in Okombahe.
Hamutenya was appointed chairperson of the sub-committee on national symbols, which was tasked with the creation of the country’s flag, coat of arms and national anthem between 1989 and 1990.
Collective effort
Kela Hamutenya yesterday sprung to the defence of his father’s contribution to the national anthem, crediting him with writing the lyrics.
“While addressing the standing committee on rules and order, he [Hidipo] said the committee - under his chairmanship - considered it of utmost importance that there be maximum public participation in the design of national symbols,” Kela told Namibian Sun.
“It was for that reason Mr Axali Doëseb was shortlisted as one of the composers of the anthem under the guidance of Mr Dollar Brand, now known as Abdullah Ibrahim. Their job was to take the lyrics authored by [Hidipo] to compose the final version of the song,” he said.
“The Namibian anthem belongs to the Namibian people. It has and will always be a collective effort as far as my father was concerned.”
Kela added that those who know the inside story of his father’s contribution have conspicuously kept quiet during the debate. “Sadly for [Hidipo] and us, his family and friends - for reasons only known to those in a position to speak to this - chose to be mum as the powers that be at the time knew all that [he] contributed,” he said.
Credit where it’s due
According to Damara Kings Council secretary Abner Xoagub, while there was a committee that oversaw the process to arrive at the final composition of the national anthem, Doëseb should still be credited as the sole composer.
“The committee did the fine-tuning, but the late Axali wrote the anthem and his was selected. He donated the entire intellectual property to government; there is an Act that states that the anthem was written by Axali,” he said.
Xoagub acknowledged the role Hamutenya played, but stressed that credit should go to Doëseb for his composition of the anthem.
“The late Hamutenya may have reviewed the lyrics of the anthem, but Axali was the composer,” he reiterated.
Highest distinction
Born on 25 November 1954, Doëseb died on 29 October 2023, less than a month shy of his 69th birthday. The national honours advisory committee had originally recommended that an official funeral be conferred upon Doëseb, but President Hage Geingob later elevated this.
“After listening to comments and input from the Namibian public, and underlining the importance of the national anthem as a national symbol, [Geingob] elevated the honour to the highest distinction and rank of a state funeral,” the presidency said.
Also at the behest of Geingob, Hamutenya was buried at Heroes' Acre just outside Windhoek in 2016. He was 77.
Doëseb's death a week ago, and State House’s announcement that he has been accorded a state funeral while his family will be receiving N$2 million, has reignited a decades-long debate about who really authored ‘Namibia, Land of the Brave’.
“The exceptional deeds of Mr Doëseb in the writing and composition of the national anthem, ‘Namibia, Land of the Brave’, shine bright and shall not be forgotten,” the presidency said yesterday, quoting the National Symbols of the Republic of Namibia Act which credits Doëseb with nearly everything regarding the song.
Minister in the presidency Christine //Hoebes, however, added fuel to the fire when she over the weeekend said “we cannot totally and completely attribute the crafting of the national anthem to one person only”, adding that a committee was responsible.
“He was one of the committee members. Some provided the lyrics, some provided the tunes and the melody. He is the one who provided the melody,” //Hoebes said at the annual Gaob Festival, held on Saturday in Okombahe.
Hamutenya was appointed chairperson of the sub-committee on national symbols, which was tasked with the creation of the country’s flag, coat of arms and national anthem between 1989 and 1990.
Collective effort
Kela Hamutenya yesterday sprung to the defence of his father’s contribution to the national anthem, crediting him with writing the lyrics.
“While addressing the standing committee on rules and order, he [Hidipo] said the committee - under his chairmanship - considered it of utmost importance that there be maximum public participation in the design of national symbols,” Kela told Namibian Sun.
“It was for that reason Mr Axali Doëseb was shortlisted as one of the composers of the anthem under the guidance of Mr Dollar Brand, now known as Abdullah Ibrahim. Their job was to take the lyrics authored by [Hidipo] to compose the final version of the song,” he said.
“The Namibian anthem belongs to the Namibian people. It has and will always be a collective effort as far as my father was concerned.”
Kela added that those who know the inside story of his father’s contribution have conspicuously kept quiet during the debate. “Sadly for [Hidipo] and us, his family and friends - for reasons only known to those in a position to speak to this - chose to be mum as the powers that be at the time knew all that [he] contributed,” he said.
Credit where it’s due
According to Damara Kings Council secretary Abner Xoagub, while there was a committee that oversaw the process to arrive at the final composition of the national anthem, Doëseb should still be credited as the sole composer.
“The committee did the fine-tuning, but the late Axali wrote the anthem and his was selected. He donated the entire intellectual property to government; there is an Act that states that the anthem was written by Axali,” he said.
Xoagub acknowledged the role Hamutenya played, but stressed that credit should go to Doëseb for his composition of the anthem.
“The late Hamutenya may have reviewed the lyrics of the anthem, but Axali was the composer,” he reiterated.
Highest distinction
Born on 25 November 1954, Doëseb died on 29 October 2023, less than a month shy of his 69th birthday. The national honours advisory committee had originally recommended that an official funeral be conferred upon Doëseb, but President Hage Geingob later elevated this.
“After listening to comments and input from the Namibian public, and underlining the importance of the national anthem as a national symbol, [Geingob] elevated the honour to the highest distinction and rank of a state funeral,” the presidency said.
Also at the behest of Geingob, Hamutenya was buried at Heroes' Acre just outside Windhoek in 2016. He was 77.
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