Windhoek, Sept 17 — We count down the 10 days to go, we are reminded that statues are not just stone and bronze they are stories frozen in time. The story of Andimba Toivo ya Toivo is one of courage, sacrifice, and hope. And now, standing tall on Robben Island, his legacy will forever speak to the world: that freedom, once won, must always be cherished and protected.
In just a few days, on 27th September 2025, the world will witness a historic moment the unveiling of a statue honoring Andimba Toivo ya Toivo on Robben Island, the same place where he endured years of imprisonment for his uncompromising fight against injustice.
Born on August 22, 1924 at Omangundu village, Namibia, Andimba Toivo ya Toivo grew up with a deep sense of fairness and resilience. Toivo taught at St Cuthbert’s Catholic School at Onamutayi and later transfered to St. Mary’s Odibo, where he not only educated but inspired a generation of young Namibians who were eager to join a liberation movement. In 1951, he left for South Africa to further his studies, a decision that would also deepen his involvement in the struggle for justice and freedom.
As apartheid tightened its grip on Southern Africa, Toivo emerged as one of Namibia’s fiercest voices for freedom and self-determination. His activism and refusal to bow before oppression made him a target. Due to his political activism he was arrested in 1966 under the Terrorism Act, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He served 16 years in Robben Island in the same section as Nelson Mandela, to whom he was a personal friend. Together, they endured physical hardship, emotional strain, and years of confinement, yet their spirits remained unshaken.
Mandela once described Toivo as a man of “iron will and unwavering principle,” and history remembers him as a leader who carried both humility and defiance in equal measure. After his release in 1984 he rejoined SWAPO as secretary general in exile in Lusaka, Zambia. Toivo continued to champion justice, unity, and peace, playing a key role in Namibia’s independence.
There are a handful of leaders who have changed the world through their vision of peace, like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King, spent years in prison or gave their lives for this cause. Namibia’s Toivo ya Toivo is one of these great men.
The unveiling of his statue on Robben Island is not just a tribute to one man. It is a symbol of resistance, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of solidarity that crossed borders and inspired generations. The island, once a place of pain, is being transformed into a site of remembrance and honor a reminder that the fight for dignity and freedom is never in vain.
Namibian Times
