Tomas212112503

His background

Kornelius Shelungu, Born in 1918,lives in Onandjaba, Okalongo and his house at Oneheke village in Omusati Region. was inaugurated as King of Oukwanyama in November 1996 to succeed the legendary and foremost freedom fighter of Angola and Namibia, King Mandume yaNdemufayo who died at Oihole Battle in southern Angola fighting against the combined South African and Portuguese colonial forces on February 2, 1917..

Kornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu was a grandson of Mbabi yaNanyeni, the sister of Oukwanyama King Haimbili yaHaufiku. His mother was Mwashimbula Koshipyu, a granddaughter of Mbabi. Mbabi who immigrated to Namibia from Angola during the reign of Haimbili Haufiku, who intended to kill her. During his time, Kornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu was the headmen of Oneheke at Okalongo district.

Kornelius Shelungu became a founding member of the OPO an organisation that as from April 19, 1960 became known as SWAPO- a movement that liberated Namibia from colonial domination on March 21, 1990. He was one of the who were tasked with the responsibility of informing the Republic's President H.E. Dr Sam Nujoma of their intentions, in around July 1993 by the committee.

When the Omugulugwombashe G1 combatants, led by John Otto Nankudhu, arrived in the country from Tanzania, Kornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu was one of the first Namibians to volunteer for military training with the sole purpose to engage the enemy militarily. Thus, Kornelius Shelungu was immediately detained and spent more than two years in Pretoria captivity together with many other comrades. He was later released due to lack of evidence. After a thorough investigation, together with the royal family of Oukwanyama, the committee selected Kornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu as the successor to King Mandume yaNdemufayo and he was inaugurated in November 1996. Just like his predecessor, King Mandume yaNdemufayo, Kornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu detested and fought colonialism.

Thus, when Omugulugwombashe was attacked, Kornelius Shelungu and others were out in the villages to collect foodstuffs and military intelligence. While they were in the villages, they received the message that Omugulugwombashe was attacked by the enemy and that their weapon and everything were captured.

And that the book containing the names of the combatants was in the hands of the enemy. At once they scattered around the country and the boers were after them and Kornelius Shelungu also went into hiding in the bushes, where he had been dodging the enemy on a daily basis. (See Nathanael Shinana (2002:63-64) in his book entitled 'Mandume fudu') One day he secretly came into his house at Oneheke and it seems someone reported him to the boers, because, as he was there, he suddenly saw the boers on foot and in cars surrounding the homestead. Kornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu in military regalia (Source: Mandume fudu by Nathanael H.Shinana (2002: 12)

At his death on November 3, 2005, in Oshakati state hospital, both H.E. Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba and H.E. Dr Sam Nujoma described Ohamba Kornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu as a torch-bearer who played an important role in the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority and the country as a whole.

The enemy forces took hostage of his family, being his wife and some of his children. According to President Pohamba in a speech at Kornelius Shelungu's memorial service, in Omhedi. Shelungu only handed himself over to win freedom of his family. He last month appointed his cousin, Mwadinomho Martha Kristian Nelumbu (74), as his successor.