Also known as: Helao Joseph Shityuwete · Colonel (Honorary) Helao Joseph Shityuwete · Comrade Helao Joseph Shityuwete · the late Shityuwete
Former Robben Island political prisoner and liberation struggle veteran who spent 18 years imprisoned for Namibia's independence; died August 2026 aged 92.
News reports
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Informanté
Helao Shityuwete spent 16 years imprisoned on Robben Island
“He spent 16 years imprisoned on Robben Island for his involvement in Namibia's liberation struggle, alongside fellow struggle icons including Andimba Toivo ya Toivo and Nelson Mandela.”
State honours liberation struggle veteran ShityuweteWindhoek Observer
Helao Shityuwete spent 18 years in prison after conviction under apartheid Terrorism Act
“Shityuwete spent 18 years in prison after being convicted under the apartheid regime's Terrorism Act.”
Helao Shityuwete belongs at Heroes’ AcreWindhoek Observer
Helao Shityuwete was released in 1984
The Namibian
Helao Shityuwete died on 29 August at age 92
“Shityuwete, who was imprisoned on Robben Island for 18 years during the apartheid era, died on 29 August a few days after he turned 92.”
Shityuwete to get state funeralThe Namibian
Helao Shityuwete was imprisoned on Robben Island for 18 years during apartheid era
“Shityuwete, who was imprisoned on Robben Island for 18 years during the apartheid era, died on 29 August a few days after he turned 92.”
Shityuwete to get state funeralThe Namibian
Helao Shityuwete was a founding member of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development
“Shityuwete was also a founding member of the then Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development.”
The war veteran who made his daughter’s ballet costumesNew Era
Helao Joseph Shityuwete was imprisoned on Robben Island and pursued writing and labour rights advocacy
“She said his imprisonment on Robben Island and his writing and labour rights advocacy reflected his commitment to justice and freedom.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah trumpets economic liberationThe Namibian
Helao Shityuwete died at age 92 in Windhoek on Saturday
“He died at the age of 92 in Windhoek on Saturday.”
‘Kind and gentle’ Helao Shityuwete dies aged 92The Namibian
Helao Shityuwete spent 18 years imprisoned on Robben Island for Namibia's liberation struggle
“Shityuwete spent 18 years imprisoned on Robben Island for his role in Namibia's liberation struggle.”
‘Kind and gentle’ Helao Shityuwete dies aged 92The Namibian
Helao Shityuwete died on Saturday, shortly after celebrating his 92nd birthday
“Shityuwete died on Saturday, shortly after celebrating his 92nd birthday.”
Venaani pays tribute to liberation veteran ShityuweteSecretary to Cabinet Emilia Mkusa says Namibia has no specific protocols governing the burial of former first spouses and is currently considering appropriate arrangements, following the death of former first lady Penehupifo Pohamba, aged 78. It remains unclear whether she will be accorded a state funeral or national honours, as the president is yet to decide.
11 hours ago · The Namibian →
Secretary to Cabinet Emilia Mkusa says Namibia has no specific protocols governing the burial of former first spouses and is currently considering appropriate arrangements, following the death of former first lady Penehupifo Pohamba, aged 78. It remains unclear whether she will be accorded a state funeral or national honours, as the president is yet to decide.
11 hours ago · The Namibian →
Former Robben Island prisoner and liberation struggle veteran Helao Shityuwete was buried at Pionierspark Cemetery in Windhoek following a state funeral on Saturday.
15 September 2026 · Namibian Sun →
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 →
Namibians gathered at Pioneerspark Cemetery in Windhoek to bid farewell to liberation struggle veteran Helao Joseph Shityuwete, who died on 29 August at age 92. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah honoured his 18 years of imprisonment—16 years on Robben Island and two years in pre-trial detention—as emblematic of sacrifices made by Namibians in their struggle for independence.
14 September 2026 · New Era →
Tulimelila Shityuwete, daughter of liberation struggle veteran Helao Shityuwete, says Namibia's independence should not be viewed as the end of the struggle, pointing to unemployment and poverty as evidence that political freedom has not translated into economic freedom for all Namibians.
14 September 2026 · The Namibian →
An editorial in the Windhoek Observer criticises the decision not to bury liberation struggle veteran Helao Joseph Shityuwete at Heroes' Acre, and calls for the committee responsible to publicly explain the criteria and reasoning behind the exclusion.
14 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
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 Nandi-Ndaitwah has described the late Helao Joseph Shityuwete as a member of a selfless generation whose sacrifice, including 18 years in prison, helped pave the way for Namibia's independence. At his state funeral in Windhoek, she noted that he spent 16 years on Robben Island and two years in pre-trial detention before witnessing the freedom for which he had sacrificed.
13 September 2026 · Informanté →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah paid tribute to late liberation struggle veteran Helao Joseph Shityuwete at his state funeral, saying his sacrifice and 18 years in prison helped lay the foundation for Namibia's independence and must inspire ongoing nation-building efforts.
13 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 →
The Windhoek Observer argues that liberation struggle veteran and former Robben Island prisoner Helao Joseph Shityuwete should be buried at Heroes' Acre and granted national hero status, noting his role in worker mobilisation, the establishment of the Ovamboland People's Organisation's Walvis Bay branch, and involvement in the 1966 PLAN armed liberation struggle.
11 September 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The government will accord liberation struggle veteran and former Robben Island prisoner Helao Shityuwete a state funeral in recognition of his contribution to Namibia's independence. Shityuwete, who was imprisoned on Robben Island for 18 years during the apartheid era, died on 29 August at age 92.
10 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 →
Windhoek Observer laments that young Namibians increasingly do not know Helao Joseph Shityuwete, a former political prisoner and liberation struggle activist who died on 29 August at age 92, reflecting broader failure by the education system and national leadership to adequately preserve and transmit Namibia's independence history.
31 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Helao Joseph Shityuwete, a former Robben Island prisoner and workers' rights advocate who played a key role in Namibia's liberation struggle, has died at age 92. President Nandi-Ndaitwah described him as a courageous patriot whose life was characterised by sacrifice, resilience and commitment to Namibian freedom.
31 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has mourned the death of liberation struggle veteran and workers' rights advocate Helao Joseph Shityuwete, who died on 29 August 2026 shortly after celebrating his 92nd birthday. Nandi-Ndaitwah described Shityuwete as a distinguished Namibian and lifelong champion of workers' rights who endured imprisonment on Robben Island and contributed through writing and advocacy for the liberation struggle.
30 August 2026 · Informanté →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has mourned the death of liberation struggle veteran and workers' rights advocate Helao Joseph Shityuwete, who died on 29 August 2026 days after his 92nd birthday. The President described him as a courageous patriot whose life was marked by sacrifice and commitment to Namibia's liberation and workers' rights, noting he was imprisoned on Robben Island and continued serving through writing and labour advocacy.
30 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
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 →