The daughter of the late Founding President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, says Dr. Sam Nujoma was more than just a President who gave her family a home to stay in but a father figure who stood by her during her stay in Namibia.

Catherine Kaunda says the relationship between the two presidents was beyond politics, as the two stood by each other even through tough times, like the time her father flew from Zambia to attend the funeral of Nujoma’s mother, Helvi Kondombolo.

Other examples were when Nujoma stood by her family in difficult times in 1999 when they were declared stateless by the Zambian government, during her own battle with cancer in 2010, and when Nujoma visited Kenneth Kaunda at Medi-Clinic, where he was hospitalised for a month.

When they became stateless, Kaunda says, the Namibian government during Nujoma’s tenure offered her a two-bedroom flat at Ausspanplatz and a job in the Office of the Prime Minister.

In 2013, the government decided to donate a house in Windhoek to the Kaunda family.

To date, Catherine, who has since retired, still resides at this house with her youngest son and grandson. 

Kenneth Kaunda, who was Zambia’s first President, died at the age of 97 in 2021.

History has it that President Kaunda encountered the late Sam Nujoma at one of the African Frontline State meetings, and over the years, as they attended these meetings, the two became relatively close to a point where Kaunda offered support to Namibia during the liberation struggle.

Kenneth Kaunda played a pivotal role in the liberation of Africa, particularly in Southern Africa, including Namibia. His commitment to African liberation was marked by his unwavering support for regional movements, his role in the Frontline States, and his diplomatic efforts to secure independence for several Southern African nations.