The Story of the Corolla Toyota 16-Valve

 

The Story of the Corolla Toyota 16-Valve

It was in 2019 when Komundu Patrick Kavari bought his first car, a Toyota Corolla 16-valve, from Mr. Novengi for N$13,000.00. The car, though old, looked reliable, and Kavari was excited to finally have his own vehicle. Without wasting any time, he decided to test it on a long journey to Opuwo.

The Journey to Opuwo

As they set off from Windhoek, the excitement filled the car. They were four in total, with Kavari behind the wheel. The trip went smoothly until they approached Otjiwarongo, where something unexpected happened. A bull suddenly crossed the road, and Kavari swerved sharply to avoid hitting it. The car spun on the road and ended up facing the direction they had come from, back toward Windhoek.

A man driving a Toyota Quantum who had been following them stopped and approached. He told Kavari that he had been driving too fast because he had overtaken the Quantum just before the near-accident. Shaken by the incident, Kavari lost confidence in driving. From Otjiwarongo, he handed the steering wheel to Ramos, who had been sitting next to him.

The Burst Tire

The journey continued, but trouble was far from over. About 32 kilometres before Kamanjab, one of the car’s tyres burst. To make matters worse, the tyre had a lock nut, and they had no tool to remove it. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, they had no choice but to spend the night by the roadside.

The next morning, they managed to contact someone in Otjiwarongo to bring the right tool. Once the tyre was changed, they continued their trip safely and finally arrived at the village. This car became quite special to the people there, it was even the first car that Mr. Kaurivi used to learn how to drive.

The Journey to Ondangwa

A few days later, Kavari drove the Corolla to Windhoek again and later continued to Ondangwa, where he spent the night at a lady’s house named Brenda. The next morning, he left Ondangwa with an Otjiherero-speaking man he had met there.

But just 10 kilometres from Ondangwa, the gearbox started giving problems. Gear 5 refused to engage properly. The only way he could drive was by holding the gear lever tightly with his hand whenever he used 5th gear; when his hand got tired, he switched to 4th gear. It was a tiring and frustrating experience, but he managed to keep the car moving.

The Final Breakdown

When they finally reached Windhoek, the car gave up completely. The gears got stuck, and while he was at Customs to collect some papers, the vehicle began to smell as if something inside was burning. Despite his attempts to fix it, the car struggled to move. Eventually, when they got home, the Corolla stopped running altogether.

Realising that it was beyond repair, Kavari contacted Mr. Novengi and told him to come and take back his car. Mr. Novengi agreed and bought it back for N$11,000.00.

Epilogue

Ironically, even though the Corolla had disappointed Kavari, it still managed to come back to life under its original owner. Up to this day, the same Toyota Corolla 16-valve still moves, faithfully serving Mr. Novengi, the man who sold it in the first place.

 

The Living Flame of Identity: Himbacracy Philosophy and the Ovahimba Worldview

 

The Living Flame of Identity: Himbacracy Philosophy and the Ovahimba Worldview

Introduction

In the far northern lands of Namibia, where the Kunene River whispers across the red soil, lives a people who have mastered the art of balance between tradition and modernity, the Ovahimba. To the untrained eye, their red skin and bare feet may appear as symbols of ancient times, but to those who look deeper, it is a philosophy, a way of being that speaks to the essence of identity, resilience, and harmony with the land.
This worldview is at the heart of what we call the Himbacracy Philosophy, a philosophy that treasures cultural continuity, communal values, and spiritual interconnectedness between humanity, nature, and the ancestors.

Otjihimba: The Language of Continuity

The Otjihimba dialect is a branch of Otjiherero, enriched with deeper, older Otjiherero vocabularies and expressions. It is not merely a tool for communication; it is a repository of ancestral wisdom. Every idiom, proverb, and name carries echoes of the past, shaping how the Ovahimba see the world and how they express respect, kinship, and belonging.

In the Himbacracy Philosophy, language is sacred. To lose a word is to lose a world. Thus, the continued use of Otjihimba is an act of resistance against cultural erosion, a way to assert, “We are still here.” Even as globalisation presses forward, the Ovahimba’s speech patterns, songs, and rituals safeguard their place in Namibia’s linguistic mosaic.

The Red Soil: A Symbol of Life, Not Sand

Often called the “red soil,” Kunene’s striking colour does not come from the sand but from the sacred mixture of red ochre and butterfat (omaze wotjize), a paste that Ovahimba women apply to their skin and hair. To outsiders, it may appear as mere adornment, but within the Himbacracy Philosophy, it represents far more: protection, identity, and continuity.

The ochre shields the skin from the sun, but spiritually, it shields the person from impurity, a physical manifestation of ancestral connection. It reminds each generation that beauty is not only how one appears but how one belongs to history. To wear traditional attires such ombanda yondana, oruhira/otjitati as wear to wear ombuku yonḓu is to wear the past as armor, to embody heritage, and to walk proudly with the blessings of the ancestors.

Okoruwo: The Holy Fire That Never Dies

At the center of every Ovahimba homestead burns the Okoruwo, the holy fire. It is the eternal link between the living and the ancestors, the unseen council that governs through memory and moral duty. When a child is born, the family introduces them to the fire; when one dies, their spirit returns to it.
In Himbacracy, the fire is not only religious but philosophical, symbolising continuity, the eternal cycle of existence, and the unseen bond between generations.

The Okoruwo teaches that true leadership flows not from authority but from reverence, reverence for those who came before, for the cattle that sustain life, and for the land that nurtures all. Thus, in a Himbacratic society, wisdom is not spoken loudly; it is lived quietly.

Cattle, Community, and the Measure of Wealth

For the Ovahimba, cattle are more than property, they are the language of survival and social balance. Every name, every exchange, every ceremony flows through cattle. They provide milk, define kinship, and embody wealth, but beyond economics, they represent responsibility.
Owning cattle is not for personal pride but for sustaining others, a living example of the Himbacracy principle that individual prosperity has no meaning outside the community.

Through cattle, the Ovahimba teach that wealth is not measured by accumulation but by contribution, by how much one gives, not how much one owns.

Between Two Worlds: Tradition and Modernity

Today, the Ovahimba live at the crossroads of ancient rhythms and modern noise, a place where barefoot women walk past cellphone shops and Toyota cars share the path with cattle.
Yet, they remain grounded in who they are. The world may see contradiction; the Himbacracy Philosophy sees adaptation. To the Himba, change is not betrayal, it is evolution guided by identity.
They remind us that tradition is not a museum of memories but a living organism, growing, breathing, and learning to coexist with new realities.

The Philosophy of Himbacracy: Lessons for the Modern World

Himbacracy is more than a cultural concept, it is a philosophy of life built on respect, balance, and remembrance. It teaches that progress without roots is emptiness; that a person who forgets where they come from will lose where they are going.
In a world obsessed with speed, the Ovahimba move with the rhythm of the rain, slow, deliberate, and meaningful. Their time is not governed by clocks but by seasons, cattle migrations, and ancestral ceremonies.

Himbacracy calls for a world where technology coexists with tradition, where modern education harmonises with indigenous knowledge, and where development respects the sacred ecology of identity.

Conclusion

The red soil of Kunene is not just a place,  it is a metaphor for endurance. The Ovahimba people, through their Otjihimba language, rituals, and values, embody what Himbacracy stands for: the power to remain oneself amid change.
They remind Namibia, and the world, that culture is not something to be preserved behind glass, but to be lived, spoken, and passed down like the flame of the Okoruwo, eternal, warm, and guiding.

Even as modernity encroaches, the Ovahimba prove that identity can not only survive change, it can transform it.
In their red ochre and sacred fire burns the timeless truth of Himbacracy:

“Tradition is not a museum, it is life.”

 

A Heartfelt Message to Ms. Rahitua Muharukua

 

 

Ms Rahitua Muharukua

A Heartfelt Message to Ms. Rahitua Muharukua

Congratulations, Ms. Rahitua Muharukua, on your graduation from the University of Namibia on 8 October 2025, where you obtained a Bachelor of Education (Hons) (Pre- and Lower Primary), Level 8 degree. What an extraordinary milestone, one earned through resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering determination.

I still remember very clearly, about four years ago, when you decided to further your studies at one of the biggest and most respected universities in our country. I witnessed your struggles first-hand. I remember your tears when institutional fees became too heavy to bear, and when you even considered selling your laptop just to continue your studies. Many people might not fully understand the depth of your struggle, but I do, because I saw the journey, I saw the sleepless nights, and I saw the willpower that refused to die.

I have no need to mention my role in your academic path, because helping others is simply part of my calling, it is what God sent me to this earth to do. But I will never forget the selfless people who stood by you when life was at its hardest.

I want to deeply acknowledge Hore Muharukua, a man who may not have formal employment but always found a way to contribute,  selling goats, sheep, and even cattle, just to make sure you could continue your education. Such sacrifice is the purest form of love and faith in someone’s future.

To Mariura Muhenje, I extend heartfelt gratitude for providing accommodation, meals, and transportation support. Your home became a safe haven for Rahitua, even when she had to travel long distances, getting off at the B1 road to reach Khomasdal Campus, or struggling to find transport back to Elisenheim, a location far from Windhoek city centre. The daily trips through Monte Christo Service Station to find a cab might sound simple to others, but we know those challenges were real and draining.

A word of thanks also goes to Katavi Muharukua, who, even as a student himself, helped with transportation whenever Mariura was unavailable. Your sense of family and responsibility did not go unnoticed.

I also want to appreciate Mavetungujani Thom and Claudia Muharukua, for stepping in to assist whenever and however they could, whether with finances, emotional support, or encouragement. It truly took a village to make this academic dream possible.

And yes, let’s not forget the story of the laptop you took from your uncle (without permission, of course!) simply because you had no choice. That moment was a symbol of pure determination, a young woman refusing to let circumstances dictate her destiny.

Today, Rahitua, as you wear your graduation gown and hold your degree with pride, remember that your achievement represents not only your personal victory but also the triumph of your entire family and community. You have proven that poverty is not a permanent condition, but a situation that can be conquered through faith, hard work, and education.

May this qualification open greater doors for you. May it remind you that the same God who brought you through these struggles will continue to guide your path forward. I am proud of you beyond words.

Congratulations once again, Ms. Rahitua Muharukua, a true inspiration to many young Namibians who dream of education against all odds.

Uerimanga Tjijombo

The Himbacracy Philosopher