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 a founder member of Namibia's first nationalist party, the South West African National Union (SWANU). Kutako, alongside the British Anglican priest Rev. Michael Scott, submitted numerous petitions to the United Nations during the 1950s and 1960s calling on the world body to end South African rule and grant Namibia independence. This eventually led to the UN's recognition of Namibia as a sovereign country under colonial administration by South Africa and the historic 1971 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice that South Africa's continued administration of Namibia was illegal in terms of international law. 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.

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