Greenwell Simasiku Matongo (1945–1979) was a

Namibian This is a demography of the population of Namibia including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Population Census results As r ...

freedom fighter and political commissar in the

People's Liberation Army of Namibia The People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) was the military wing of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO). It fought against the South African Defence Force (SADF) and South West Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) during the S ...

(PLAN), the military wing of

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO ; , SWAVO; , SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa). Founded in 1960, it has been ...

.In memory of our Hero
New Era, 20 August 2010 Matongo joined SWAPO in exile during Namibia's struggle for independence from South African rule in the mid 1960s. He spent time in

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

and trained new PLAN recruits at a SWAPO military camp in

Kongwa Kongwa District is one of the seven districts of the Dodoma Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by Manyara Region, to the east by Morogoro Region, to the south by Mpwapwa District, and to the west by Chamwino District. Its district ...

. Matongo rose through the ranks of PLAN and became a highly respected commander. He was killed in combat on 15 June 1979 during a battle between

UNITA The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (, abbr. UNITA) is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought alongside the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Liberat ...

and South African forces in Ondjiva,

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

. In honor of his contributions to Namibia's liberation struggle, several landmarks bear his name. The Greenwell Matongo suburb in Windhoek's Goreangab area is named after him. Additionally, Greenwell Matongo Primary School in

Katima Mulilo Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia. It had 46,401 inhabitants in 2023, and comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban. It is located on the B8 national roa ...

serves as a testament to his legacy, providing education to the local community. Matongo's legacy continues to inspire Namibians, reminding people of the sacrifices made for the country's freedom and the ongoing work to build a better future. To honor his contribution, local leaders from the

Zambezi region The Zambezi Region, known as the Caprivi Region until 2013, is one of Namibia's fourteen regions, situated in the north-eastern part of the country along the Zambezi River. The region's capital is Katima Mulilo. The Katima Mulilo Airport is ...

have called on the government to repatriate Matongo's remains from an unmarked grave in Ondjiva, Angola, and rebury him at Heroes' Acre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matongo, Greenwell 1945 births 1979 deaths People from Zambezi Region National heroes of Namibia Namibian expatriates in Tanzania Namibian expatriates in Zambia Members of SWAPO People's Liberation Army of Namibia personnel Namibian military personnel South West African anti-apartheid activists Namibian exiles