African leaders gather for funeral of Namibia's 'founding father' Sam Nujoma

Mourners chat at the end of a memorial service of Sam Nujoma, who became Namibia's first democratically elected president, at the Independence stadium, before his burial tomorrow at Namibia's National Heroes Acre, in the capital Windhoek, Namibia, February 28, 2025. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

WINDHOEK (Reuters) - African leaders past and present gathered in Namibia on Saturday to bury the country's "founding father" Sam Nujoma, who challenged colonialism and a military occupation by South Africa's racist white minority government.

Dignitaries including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, former President Thabo Mbeki and ex-Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete attended the funeral of Nujoma, who rose from herding cattle as a boy to lead the sparsely-populated, mostly desert southern African country on March 21, 1990.