Congress on 2 December 2012, Andimba ya Toivo was elected as a permanent member of the central committee. Personal life After retiring from active politics, Toivo devoted his time to his wife, Vicki Erenstein, an American labor lawyer, and two daughters, Mutaleni and Nashikoto, and ran various businesses. He died on the evening of 9 June 2017 at his home in Windhoek at the age of 92 years. Ya Toivo was laid to rest at Heroes' Acre in Windhoek on 24 June 2017. Awards and honours Ya Toivo was declared a national hero of Namibia and accorded a state funeral in Windhoek's Heroes' Acre. Some of the various other honours bestowed upon him are: Grand Companion of OR Tambo in Silver, awarded in 2009 for "his courageous contribution to the fight for independence and freedom in South Africa and Namibia" In 2014 an honorary doctorate in civil law from the International University of Management, Namibia Several entities in Namibia have been named after ya Toivo, among them: Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Airport, formerly Ondangwa Airport HMS Challenger, a ship renamed as MV Ya Toivo after him Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Senior Secondary School The St Mary's Mission School dining hall in Odibo References External links 30 minute documentary on Toivo ya Toivo and the Namibian liberation struggle Interview with Andimba Toivo ya Toivo by Tor Sellström within the project Nordic Documentation on the Liberation Struggle in Southern Africa – dated 17 March 1995 1924 births 2017 deaths People from Oshana Region Namibian people of World War II South African military personnel of World War II Namibian people imprisoned abroad Inmates of Robben Island Members of the National Assembly (Namibia) Members of the African National Congress SWAPO politicians Labour ministers of Namibia Mines and energy ministers of Namibia Security ministers of Namibia Recipients of the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo Namibian revolutionaries South West African anti-apartheid activists National heroes of Namibia