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WINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) \u2014 Sam Nujoma, Namibia\u2019s founding president who steered the country to freedom from apartheid South Africa, was laid to rest in the country\u2019s Heroes Acre cemetery on Saturday following a state funeral attended by African leaders and foreign dignitaries.<\/p>\n
Mourners from all corners of the country began to gather as early as 6 a.m. to pay their final tributes to a man they knew as their \u201cfounding father,\u201d an anti-apartheid activist who served three terms as president from 1990 to 2005.<\/p>\n
Nujoma died on Feb. 8 at age 95 after spending three weeks at a Windhoek hospital.<\/p>\n
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Nujoma\u2019s widow, Theopoldine Nujoma, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were in attendance.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a pillar of strength and a fountain of wisdom in the family. Although we could not have him around us all the time, we nevertheless understood very well that he embodied and personified the liberation struggle for Namibia\u2019s freedom and independence,\u201d Nujoma\u2019s eldest son, Utoni Nujoma, said at football stadium filled with mourners.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the fact that our hearts are engulfed by grief, we therefore celebrate his long and fulfilling life as well as his unwavering spirit when he dedicated his entire life to the liberation of our motherland and the entire African continent,\u201d Utoni added.<\/p>\n
Namibia had observed a 21-day mourning period, with flags at half-staff. Nujoma\u2019s body was honored with a nationwide farewell as his remains were flown to seven regions including his village homestead of Etunda, in Okahao, allowing hundreds of thousands of Namibians to pay their respects.<\/p>\n
Nujoma was the last of a generation of African leaders who led their countries out of colonial or white minority rule that included South Africa\u2019s Nelson Mandela, Mozambique\u2019s Samora Machel, Zimbabwe\u2019s Robert Mugabe, Tanzania\u2019s Julius Nyerere and Zambia\u2019s Kenneth Kaunda.<\/p>\n
His casket, draped in the Namibian flag with the title \u2018Founding president and Father of the Namibian nation\u2019 on it, was lowered concurrently with a 21-gun salute and a flypast by the Namibian Air Force, into the mausoleum at the Heroes Acre.<\/p>\n
The Heroes Acre was constructed as a final resting place for Namibians who made meaningful contributions to the freedom enjoyed by the country today.<\/p>\n
Current Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba described Nujoma as an extraordinary human being. Mbumba said Nujoma exhibited the traits of a man driven by purpose and destiny.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho else could rise from the humble dwellings of Etunda to lead a nation to independence? Who else could traverse from a dusty village to the hallways of the United Nations? Who else could rise from relative obscurity and end up rubbing shoulders with some of the most iconic leaders of the 20th century? Only an extraordinary human being could achieve such feats,\u201d Mbumba said.<\/p>\n
Present and former African heads of states attended the memorial service and funeral, including South Africa\u2019s Thabo Mbeki and Cyril Ramaphosa, Congo\u2019s Joseph Kabila, Zimbabwe\u2019s Emmerson Mnangagwa, Botswana\u2019s Ian Khama, Angola\u2019s Jo\u00e3o Manuel Gon\u00e7alves Louren\u00e7o, Tanzanian Vice President Philip Mpango and Lesotho\u2019s prime minister, Samuel Matekane.<\/p>\n
They described Nujoma as an African icon, and a man of principles who defended the African continent against colonial systems.<\/p>\n
After nearly 30 years in exile, Nujoma returned to Namibia to lead the liberation movement SWAPO in the U.N.-supervised elections in November 1989 that subsequently elevated him to the country\u2019s highest office.<\/p>\n
During his lifetime, Nujoma was awarded honors and awards for his outstanding leadership, courage and total commitment toward the creation of a nonracial society in Namibia.<\/p>\n
He is survived by three siblings, a wife, two sons, 24 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n