Namibia ‘ s independence struggle war heroes , whose remains are still buried in unmarked graves around the country , are going to be unearthed and reburied at national hero shrines in all 14 regions . Many Namibian heroes and heroines , including those who fought in the country during the independence war , are buried in unmarked graves in countries where they fought and died during the liberation struggle . The commission in charge of exhuming and reinterring the remains of the country ‘ s independence fight martyrs announced this on Wednesday at Opuwo . The committee is led by former PLAN combatant and ex – Cabinet minister Charles Namoloh , who stated that the committee will endeavour to ensure that the fallen heroes and heroines are given dignified burials and that their legacies are preserved for future generations through narratives written about their histories . The committee is also meeting with various stakeholders to solicit consultations on the identified martyr graves and the existing liberatio
n heritage sites to examine their suitability for the reinterment of Namibian independence martyrs ‘ remains . In an interview with Nampa , Namoloh indicated that the committee will tour all 14 regions to locate the scattered graves of individuals who fought and died during the freedom struggle . ‘ The committee is tasked to look and identify scattered graves of comrades that died during the liberation struggle . The graves will then be exhumated and their remains will be buried at designated grave sites so that they get a decent burial . We will be able to honour them finally ,’ he said . According to Namoloh , graves are scattered around the country , thus the remains will be reinterred at designated memorial locations to ensure that they are properly conserved and honoured . He also urged the community to work together to identify unmarked graves , pointing out that this is a nationwide initiative to remember those who fought tirelessly for Namibia ‘ s independence . Namoloh emphasised that the committee ‘
s terms of reference will focus solely on the remains of those who perished in Namibia . The process , according to Namoloh , will last three years . ‘ The process will take three years but depending on the enormous number of graves , we might extend ,’ he noted . Namoloh made note that more than 400 unmarked graves have been identified thus far . The exhumed graves of heroes and heroines in the Kunene Region will be reburied at the Okozongumbati Heroes Shrine , located a few kilometres outside of Opuwo .

Source: The Namibia News Agency