John Nankudhu

John ya Otto Nankudhu (1933–2011, nom de guerre: Koshiwanda,[1] the surname is sometimes also spelled Nankugu[2]) was a Namibian guerrilla, army officer and politician.

He was the commander of the forces of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) at Omugulugwombashe when the armed struggle for independence began there on 26 August 1966 and was later jailed for 17 years at Robben Island.

[4] Nankudhu returned to Africa in 1964 and, already in the rank of a commander of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), started a military training camp in Kongwa, Tanzania.

[6] The group under Nankudhu had just started to build defensive structures[5] and planned to train about 90 soldiers at Omugulugwombashe.

[10][11] Shortly after Nandudhu's death, President Hifikepunye Pohamba conferred the status of National Hero upon him and directed that a state burial be held.

[13] He is also commemorated at Omugulugwombashe, where a statue of six soldiers engaged in planning a military action depicts Nankudhu and his subordinates.