Hosea Kutako

Hosea Kutako

Chief Hosea Komombumbi Kutako (born 1870 at Okahurimehi near Kalkfeld, died 18 July 1970 in the Aminuis Reserve) was an early Namibian nationalist leader and member of the South West African People's Organization. Kutako, alongside Rev. Michael Scott led petitions to the United Nations which eventually led to the recognition of Namibia's status as a sovereign country under colonial control by South Africa. He was also the Leader of Hereroland from 1968-1970. Hosea Kutako is considered a national hero in Namibia.

In 1920, Hosea Kutako was officially appointed as leader of the Herero by Frederik Maharero. Frederik had been empowered to transfer power by his father, Herero chief Samuel Maharero, who had been exiled after the Herero War and was since banned from entering the country by the South African Mandatory Administration. Hosea Kutako took over his role as a commitment to preserve the memory of the glorious times of the Herero before and during the German colonisation as well as of the atrocities in the battle of Waterberg. The seat of his chieftaincy was situated at the settlement of Toasis in the Aminuis area.

Already in 1920, he founded the Green Flags, an association to keep up tradition, and went on by founding the Red Flags in 1923, after Samuel Maharero’s death. Kutako prompted and organised the transfer of Samuel Maharero’s body and its funeral on Okahandja next to the grave of Jonker Afrikaner. Kutako also founded the Truppenspieler association. It was meant to get military importance which was opposed both by the South African authorities and by Sam Nujoma, the co-founder of the South West African People's Organisation SWAPO. So, the Truppenspieler had to content themselves with an accompanying role at Herero Day. Along with Nujoma, Hosea Kutako founded the South West African National Union (SWANU) in 1959, an organisation that was to merge into SWAPO a year later. It later re-emerged as a separate political entity. Despite his age, Hosea Kutako particularly engaged for the independence of future Namibia.