Former First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba worked as a nurse without payment for three years while she held the country's highest ceremonial office, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah revealed at a memorial service in Windhoek on Saturday, 25 October. Pohamba, who died earlier this month at the age of 89 according to New Era, devoted more than 35 years to healthcare across three eras of Namibian history: colonial rule, the liberation struggle and independence.
According to Namibian Sun, which reported the memorial service at Parliament Gardens, Nandi-Ndaitwah told mourners that Pohamba continued nursing and midwifery work throughout her ten years as First Lady, from 2005 to 2015. The President has accorded her a special funeral in recognition of her service to the country's social and national development.
From Odibo to exile: a life built on care
Nandi-Ndaitwah recalled meeting Pohamba at Odibo in 1963, describing her as a quiet young woman, a brilliant student and a talented netball player who was ahead of her at school.
“Long before the titles, long before the ceremonies of State, there was that young woman in Odibo, with her gifts, her discipline and her future still before her,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
Pohamba entered nursing at St Mary's Mission Hospital in Odibo before going into exile, where she received further nursing training in Tanzania and midwifery training in Jamaica. Those skills placed her on the front line of the liberation struggle, caring for sick and wounded people, often amid shortages of medical supplies.
“As a midwife, she stood beside mothers at their most vulnerable moment,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said. “She welcomed babies into a world still waiting for Namibia to be free.”
How many people did Pohamba's initiatives reach?
The numbers behind her humanitarian work give a measure of the person. Through OEWONA, an organisation she founded and served as patron, Pohamba supported more than 10 000 widows, widowers and orphans affected by HIV and AIDS.
She also led the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS and backed rural women through the Mukwamhalanga Tukondjeni Community Trust. Nandi-Ndaitwah said these initiatives reflected a lifelong commitment to people facing hardship, particularly those whose circumstances left them without adequate support.
Her public service earned formal recognition in 2014, when she received the Most Brilliant Order of the Sun, First Class, as Windhoek Observer reported. The President said the true legacy lies elsewhere: in the mothers she assisted, the children she helped protect and the families she supported.
“That is a legacy no medal can contain,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
“Penehupifo did not measure service by what it brought her; she measured it by what it gave to others,” she added.
A final photograph
Nandi-Ndaitwah also shared a personal detail from her final conversation with Pohamba, during a hospital visit on 7 October. The former First Lady asked her to take a photograph and send it to her husband, former President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
“I did as directed, not knowing it might be her last photo,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said, suggesting the request may have been Pohamba's way of saying goodbye to her husband and children.
She urged the bereaved family to find comfort in their memories and encouraged Namibians to honour Pohamba by continuing her commitment to vulnerable people.
What the family remembers
Delivering a tribute on behalf of the children, Ndapanda Pohamba remembered her mother as someone who believed children deserved guidance and understanding, particularly when they made mistakes.
“A mistake should never become a sentence of abandonment,” Ndapanda said. “We could approach mama with our worries and challenges, knowing she would guide us to what was right.”
She said her mother's compassion extended beyond the family to people who needed encouragement, protection and guidance. “The values she shared with the community were the same values she practised at home,” Ndapanda said. “She taught us that compassion is not something we speak about, it is something we show through our actions.”
What happens next
Information minister Emma Theofelus announced that a second memorial service will be held on Friday, 30 October, followed by the funeral on Saturday, 31 October, at Okanghudi village in the Ohangwena Region. The Presidency, through the secretary to Cabinet, will coordinate arrangements in consultation with the family and relevant stakeholders.
FAQ
Who was Penehupifo Pohamba?
Penehupifo Pohamba was Namibia's First Lady from 2005 to 2015 as the wife of former President Hifikepunye Pohamba. She was a nurse and midwife with more than 35 years in healthcare, including training in Tanzania and Jamaica during exile, and founded OEWONA, which supported over 10 000 widows, widowers and orphans affected by HIV and AIDS.
Did Pohamba really work without pay as First Lady?
Yes. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the memorial service that Pohamba continued nursing and midwifery work while First Lady and provided nursing services without payment for three years, as The Namibian also reported.
When and where will Pohamba be buried?
The funeral will take place on Saturday, 31 October, at Okanghudi village in the Ohangwena Region, following a memorial service on Friday, 30 October.