Also known as: the late Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo · late Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo · Comrade Andimba Toivo ya Toivo · late Comrade Andimba Toivo ya Toivo
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Andimba Toivo ya Toivo
Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
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The Namibian
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo co-started the Namibian Former Robben Island Prisoners Trust with Helao Shityuwete
“He and Andimba Toivo ya Toivo started the Namibian Former Robben Island Prisoners Trust, which takes care of former Robben Island prisoners and their families.”
The war veteran who made his daughter’s ballet costumesThe Namibian
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo was one of Shityuwete's first teachers
“Shityuwete told The Namibian in 2011 that it was at St Mary's Odibo where he met his longtime friend and fellow Robbin Island prisoner Andimba Toivo ya Toivo. Ya Toivo was also one of his first teachers.”
Helao Shityuwete dead: Robben Island freedom fighter diesThe Namibian
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo became leader of Namibian workers in Cape Town
“Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, who became the leader of the Namibian workers, joined the Modern Youth Society, a broadly socialist and racially mixed group.”
Namibia’s Workers Spearheaded Its Fight for Independence – Part 1The Namibian
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo signed petition to United Nations demanding removal of South Africa's mandate
“Signed by ya Toivo and 80 others, it demanded that South Africa's mandate be removed and the administration of Namibia transferred to the United Nations Trusteeship Council.”
Namibia’s Workers Spearheaded Its Fight for Independence – Part 1The Namibian
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo said the struggle will be long and bitter but people will wage it whatever the cost
“In the words of Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, one of the founding members of the Swapo party, who said, and I quote, "The struggle will be long and bitter, but I also know that my people will wage that struggle whatever the cost".”
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah marks Independence Day commemoration in WindhoekThe Namibian
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo spent the evening at the Khomasdal Centre of the Rössing Foundation
The Namibian
Ondangwa Airport was renamed after Andimba Toivo ya Toivo
“The renaming of Ondangwa Airport after Andimba Toivo ya Toivo began as a public suggestion by an individual.”
Let Mungunda Rise Where Francois FellInformanté
the late Comrade Andimba Toivo ya Toivo influenced Mathias Kanana Hishoono to choose resistance over silence
“Influenced by the late Comrade Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, he chose the difficult road of resistance instead of the safer path of silence.”
Late Mathias Hishoono honoured for a legacy of unity, resilience and serviceThe Namibian
Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo was tried in 1968 alongside Matias Hishoono in Pretoria for political activism
“In 1968, he was tried alongside the late Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo in Pretoria for his political activism.”
Namibians pay last respects to HishoonoThe family of liberation struggle veteran Helao Shityuwete has questioned the government's decision to bury him at Gammams Cemetery rather than Heroes' Acre, asking what requirement he did not meet given his record of 18 years imprisonment on Robben Island.
14 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The family of liberation struggle veteran Helao Shityuwete has questioned the government's decision to bury him at Gammams Cemetery rather than Heroes' Acre, asking what requirement he did not meet given his record of 18 years imprisonment on Robben Island.
14 September 2026 · The Namibian →
The state funeral of liberation struggle veteran Helao Joseph Shityuwete, a former Robben Island political prisoner who spent 18 years imprisoned, has prompted calls for him to have been buried at Heroes' Acre and accorded national hero status, with supporters arguing his decades of sacrifice and instrumental role in the armed liberation struggle warranted Namibia's highest honour.
14 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah honoured late Colonel Helao Joseph Shityuwete, a former Robben Island political prisoner who spent 16 years imprisoned for his role in Namibia's liberation struggle, saying his legacy should inspire future generations.
13 September 2026 · Informanté →
Former political prisoners and parliamentarians have criticised the government's decision to bury liberation struggle veteran Helao Shityuwete at Pionierspark, arguing that his 18 years on Robben Island and his role in the liberation struggle warranted burial at Heroes' Acre instead.
13 September 2026 · The Namibian →
Helao Shityuwete, a liberation struggle veteran and former Robben Island prisoner who died on 29 August at age 92, is remembered by his children as a gentle, present father who sewed his daughter's ballet costumes and taught them human rights, dignity, equality, and kindness alongside his public role as an anti-apartheid activist and labour advocate.
7 September 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Namibians, particularly youth, to take responsibility for the country's economic future, saying Namibia has entered the "second phase" of its struggle after achieving political independence. She stated that political independence marked one phase while economic liberation represents the next phase of the struggle.
7 September 2026 · New Era →
Helao Shityuwete, an anti-apartheid activist who spent 18 years imprisoned on Robben Island for his role in Namibia's liberation struggle, died in Windhoek on Saturday aged 92. His daughter describes him as a principled, warm and involved father who shared his experiences and taught his children values of dignity and care.
1 September 2026 · The Namibian →
McHenry Venaani has paid tribute to Helao Shityuwete, a liberation struggle veteran and former Robben Island political prisoner who died at 92. Venaani described Shityuwete as a courageous and humble Namibian whose sacrifice for the country's freedom, from his work at Walvis Bay docks through military service and imprisonment, should be remembered as part of Namibia's history.
31 August 2026 · The Namibian →
Helao Shityuwete, a former Robben Island political prisoner who spent 18 years imprisoned during the liberation struggle, died on Saturday. His death leaves Betuel Nuunyango as the only surviving member of the group of 37 Namibian nationalists incarcerated on Robben Island in the 1960s.
31 August 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told the 60th Heroes Day commemoration that heroism encompasses ordinary Namibians who serve their families, communities and country—not only those who receive medals or public recognition. She conferred hero status on 16-year-old Cornelius Shimuaafeni from Omusati region, who saved nine-month-old twins from a water pond.
27 August 2026 · The Namibian →
The remains of anti-apartheid activists Immanuel Shifidi and Eliaser Tuhadeleni have been exhumed from burial sites in Windhoek and Endola and will be reburied at Heroes' Acre, along with former Swapo MP Nathanael Maxuilili and several others. The exhumations were carried out by the Namibian Defence Force, though Maxuilili's family says it had not been formally informed of the process.
30 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's labour movements were historically central to anti-colonial resistance through mass strikes and worker solidarity, with collective labour action having a long history in the country as a notable segment of resistance against settler colonialism and racial capitalism. Since independence in 1990, however, labour movements have operated with reduced influence and mobilisation.
4 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Vicky ya Toivo, a labour and employment lawyer, has launched 'WorkLifeNamibia', a podcast that explains workers' rights and employers' responsibilities in simple, practical terms. The series covers topics including wages, minimum wage, and employee leave, aiming to help people understand labour laws before workplace disputes arise.
15 April 2026 · The Namibian →
The 'Canvas of Namibia' exhibition at Windhoek's Namibian Arts Association features 23 artists and personal items including Hendrik Witbooi portraits, a military helmet and memorabilia from the liberation struggle, celebrating Namibian independence while addressing contemporary issues like corruption and township life.
24 March 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah commemorated Namibia's 36 years of independence, honouring the nation's struggle for freedom and founding president Sam Nujoma, while calling for collective action to address poverty, inequality, corruption, and tribalism. The President outlined government priorities including poverty reduction, youth development, education, infrastructure, and climate adaptation under the theme "Beyond 36: For a Prosperous Future."
24 March 2026 · The Namibian →
An opinion piece reflecting on Namibia's 36 years of independence marks achievements in education, gender equality, and healthcare while identifying persistent challenges including youth unemployment, land inequality, poverty, corruption, and unresolved historical reconciliation. The authors argue that true independence requires addressing social justice, equitable resource distribution, and honest engagement with the nation's colonial and apartheid past.
20 March 2026 · New Era →
An analysis marking Namibia's 36 years of independence contrasts the jubilation of 1990 with present-day inequality and governance failures, arguing that the liberation movement's slogans of "Solidarity, Freedom, Justice" have been compromised by elite self-enrichment and a persistence of class-based oppression under continued Swapo rule.
20 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Two Namibian thought leaders argue that a statue of Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, who died resisting forced removals in Windhoek in 1959, should replace the removed statue of colonial founder Curt von Francois. They contend this would honour resistance history and build a more inclusive national narrative without erasing the past.
14 March 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibia Exile Kids Association held its fourth central committee meeting in Windhoek on Saturday, with NEKA president Kadiva Hamutumwa calling for strengthened solidarity through unity and reaffirming members' commitment to Swapo's legacy. Hamutumwa stressed the importance of innovation, community empowerment, and honouring liberation struggle sacrifices while fostering collaboration among affiliated organisations.
2 March 2026 · New Era →
Mathias Kanana Hishoono, one of the last surviving founders of Swapo and a key organiser in Namibia's liberation struggle, was buried on Saturday following his death on 14 January at age 89. His passing marks the closing of a formative chapter in Namibian political history, as a generation whose authority was rooted in lived experience of colonial repression and resistance fades away.
28 January 2026 · New Era →
Swapo co-founder and political advisor Kanana Hishoono (89) was buried at Eenhana Memorial Shrine on Saturday, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah praising his unwavering commitment to Namibia's liberation struggle and legacy of selfless dedication. Hishoono, who also served as headman of Onambutu village in Ohangwena region and died on 14 January, was remembered by mourners and political leaders as a founding figure in the national liberation movement.
26 January 2026 · New Era →
Former presidents Hifikepunye Pohamba and Nangolo Mbumba paid tributes to Swapo founding member Kanana Hishoono at his memorial service, describing him as a unifier and principled servant who played a critical role in Namibia's liberation struggle and later served as political adviser to founding president Sam Nujoma. Hishoono, who died on 14 January at age 89, was one of the few remaining original torchbearers of Namibia's independence movement.
25 January 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, through Vice President Lucia Witbooi, delivered a memorial address for the late Mathias Kanana Hishoono, a founding member of SWAPO and veteran of Namibia's independence struggle. She described him as embodying unity, resilience, and service, and emphasised his continued contributions to nation-building after independence as a political advisor to the first two presidents.
24 January 2026 · Informanté →
Matias Kanana Hishoono, a founding member of Owamboland People's Organisation (OPO) which evolved into Swapo, died on 14 January aged 89. Senior government officials and thousands of mourners gathered at his village for a memorial service, with a state funeral planned for Saturday at Eenhana Shrine.
24 January 2026 · The Namibian →