Celebrating 30 Years of Independence

EXTRAORDINARY NAMIBIANS

Over the years Namibia has produced some exceptional human beings doing exceptional things. We are proud of our country and love to celebrate the achievements of all of our people. Some of them have found international acclaim. Let’s take a brief look at three of these personalities, although they are by no means the only ones who have made a name for themselves on the global stage.

DR. JAPIE VAN ZYL

Born in 1957 in the small town of Outjo in the northwest, Japie van Zyl received his honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa,after which he completed his masters and doctorate degrees at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, USA. In 1986 he started as a research scientist developing models for inferring soil moisture from spaceborne radar images at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Dr. van Zyl’s hard work, leading research and development in synthetic-aperture radar systems, and years of dedication were rewarded in 2006 when he became the JPL’s Director for Astronomy, Physics and Space Technology. In 2011 he was appointed Associate Director of Project Formulation and Strategy, a role he held until 2016 when he was asked to be the Director of Solar System Exploration – an impressive position under which he oversaw a directorate that defines, formulates, acquires and implements all missions to the rest of the solar system, with the exception of Mars. The conclusion of his stellar career at JPL was the successful landing of the InSight lander on Mars in November 2018. Since 2019 he has been busy as CEO and co-founder of Hydrosat, a data analytics startup company that uses spaceborne thermal infrared imagery to create heat maps of agricultural land. This will give farmers information on how to achieve better precision farming at significantly less cost and, more importantly, use less water.

JOHANNA BENSON

On 5 September 2012 Johanna Benson made history by becoming the first Namibian to win a gold medal at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games. Benson was born with cerebral palsy in 1990 and raised in Walvis Bay.

She decided to take athletics further after Tsire Tsauseb, former President of the Namibia Sports Federation for People with Disabilities, spotted her taking part in a school race. She excelled in international competitions and qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, where she was the only female athlete from Namibia to participate. She set the fastest time in her heat and then won gold in the final of the women’s 200 m T37, setting a new African record at the same time. Benson also took silver in the Women’s 100 m T37. Coming home to a hero’s welcome she was presented with a diplomatic passport, a house worth N$ 1.5 million and a N$ 170,000 grant from President Dr Hifikepune Pohamba. To commemorate her achievement, a street in Walvis Bay was renamed after her in 2013.

JOHN NDEVASIA MUAFANGEJO

His linocuts and etchings are powerful visual depictions of people, the violent struggle of the time, intimate commentaries based on his own life and experiences, and the bible.

John Muafangejo is considered the most important visual artist of Namibia. Born in 1943 in Etunda lo Nghadi in southern Angola, he grew up herding cattle. In 1956 Muafangejo moved to the Anglican mission station at Epinga in Namibia where he started his school education. While residing and attending school at Saint Mary’s Anglican mission in Odibo his talents were noticed by missionary C. Shannon Mallory, who in 1967 had him enrolled at the art school in Rorke’s Drift in Natal, South Africa. After 18 months he was admitted to hospital due to nervous exhaustion. He soon recovered, however, and was able to complete his course. Studying at Rorke’s Drift John Muafangejo was exposed to a range of different artistic techniques. In 1970 he moved back to Odibo where he taught art at the mission school for four years, followed by a one-year stint as an artist-in-residence at Rorke’s Drift. Muafangejo returned to Odibo in 1975, but two years later moved to Katutura in Windhoek where he sadly passed away in 1987. During the span of his career he created quite an impressive body of work. His linocuts and etchings are powerful visual depictions of people, the violent struggle of the time, intimate commentaries based on his own life and experiences, and the bible. He often combined images with text. Muafangejo became internationally known through his work over the years, with exhibitions in São Paulo, New York, Stockholm and Canada amongst others.

Le Roux van Schalkwyk