President Hage Geingob has conferred on the late teacher and veteran of the liberation struggle, Martin Lazarus Shipanga, the honour of National Hero thereby directing that a State Funeral be held in his honour.
Shipanga died on Sunday in Windhoek. He was 89.
The conferment was done in terms of Sub-Article (8) of Article 32 of the Namibian Constitution, and under the powers vested in the President by SubArticle (3)(h) of that Article read with section 3(1) of the Conferment of National Honours Act, 2012 (Act No. 11 of 2012).
“Following consultations with the wife and family of the late Mr Martin Lazarus Shipanga, the Head of State, His Excellency Dr Hage G. Geingob directs that his remains be interred at the National Heroes Acre in Windhoek, Khomas Region on Saturday, 4 July 2020,” the statement from Geingob said.
According to the statement, Geingob has directed that a period of national mourning be observed in honour of the late Mr Martin Lazarus Shipanga, during which all flags in Namibia will be flown at half-mast with effect from Thursday, 2 July 2020 to Saturday, 4 July 2020.
A war veteran of the liberation struggle, Shipanga was also a veteran in the Namibian education fraternity who taught at and headed Augustineum in Okahandja during the 1960s before he became an inspector and later became an education director.
