John Ekongo
30 June 2008
Windhoek — Vice president of the student movement the Namibian National Student Organisation (NANSO), Chris Hawala, died in a car accident on Friday evening on his way to the Ohangwena region.
He was expected to address learners at Ponhofi Secondary School in Eenhana as part of commemorative celebrations of the 1988 National Student Boycott, which had its origin there. Christiaan Hatutale Hawala was born some 24 years ago in Okahandja.
According to eyewitnesses, Hawala was killed instantly when the vehicle he and two other occupants were travelling in collided with a kudu several kilometres outside Tsumeb, causing severe injuries to both man and machine. It is reported that on impact the beast landed on the left passenger side where Hawala was seated, causing extreme injuries, which ultimately led to his death. The other two occupants were reported to have also suffered severe injuries. Hawala was one of the youngest student leaders to have taken over the reins at the ailing student movement in 2003, alongside the likes of Mandela Kapere and Ne-ville Andre. Prior to his death Hawala had been an active member of the Swapo Party Youth League structures in Okahandja. Aside from his many achievements, in 2001 and aged 16, he became the youngest student ever to enrol for a Bachelor of Economics degree in the Faculty of Economics and Management Science at the University of Namibia (Unam).
Four years later he became a member of the student representative council (SRC) at the university responsible for finance. During his reign, a dual system of budgeting was introduced to curb what was regarded by many as a cash-cow finance division of the SRC, because of corrupt activities. It was also during his time that the budget for SRC activities was well within the margin of a million Namibian dollars, for which he was responsible as the accounting officer.
At the time of his death, Hawala was employed by high-risk insurance giants, Glenrand MIB Namibia, as an insurance accounts executive.
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