Sam Nujoma

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Sam Nujoma
Sam Nujoma
In office
March 21, 1990 – March 21, 2005
Preceded by None
Succeeded by Hifikepunye Pohamba
Born May 12, 1929 (1929-05-12) (age 79)
Ongandjera, Namibia
Political party SWAPO

Samuel Daniel Shafiishuna Nujoma (born May 12, 1929 in Ongandjera, South West Africa (now Omusati Region) is a former President of Namibia as well as leader of Namibia's liberation movement from the late 1950s until independence in 1990. He was inaugurated as President on 21 March 1990 and was subsequently re-elected in 1994 and 1999, serving until 2005. He was also President of the South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) from its founding in 1960 until 2007.

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[edit] Early life

Nujoma was born in the north of the country, in Ongandjera, which is part of the cultural area known as Ovamboland. His mother, Mpingana Helvi Kondombolo, was still alive as of 2005, and over 100 years old.

[edit] President of SWAPO

In 1960 he became the first President of the South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), having co-founded its forerunner, the Ovamboland People's Organization, in the late 1950s. At the time South Africa administered the land under a policy of apartheid, or division, in which the best resources were reserved for those classified white, while other Namibians were treated as inferior and forbidden from active participation in their country. After years of asking the UN to ensure the ruling power South Africa released control of South West Africa, he authorized armed resistance in 1966. This began the Namibian War of Independence, which lasted 24 years.

During the struggle, Nujoma took the combat name "Shafiishuna", meaning "lightning", as the name was in his family on his father's side.[1]

The South African military easily dealt with SWAPO while simultaneously being busy with military campaigns in other countries. There has also been questions about how much fighting, if any, Nujoma actually took part in.

[edit] President of Namibia

Nujoma pictured on an HIV billboard in 2004
Nujoma pictured on an HIV billboard in 2004

As head of SWAPO, Nujoma was unanimously declared president upon the victory of SWAPO in a United Nations-supervised election in 1989, and was sworn in by UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar on March 21, 1990.

In 1992, Norway decided to stop drought relief to Namibia in response to the purchase of an expensive new presidential jet and two new VIP helicopters. The planes were bought just few weeks after Sam Nujoma had appealed to the international community for drought aid.[2]

Nujoma initiated a plan for land reform, in which land would be redistributed from whites (who, despite constituting only a small percentage of the population, own a disproportionately large amount of the nation's farmland) to blacks, although it is being implemented on a more gradual and long-term basis than in nearby Zimbabwe. Nujoma has been vocal in his support for Zimbabwe and its president, Robert Mugabe, in the face of the criticism the Zimbabwean government has received from the West for its land reform program. Since 2003, Zimbabwe's land reform programs have resulted in white farmers' lands being seized without compensation.

Nujoma was re-elected as President of Namibia in December 1994 with 76.3% of the vote.[3] The constitution of Namibia was changed to allow Nujoma to run for a third five-year term in 1999; this was justified on the grounds that he had not been directly elected for his first term, and the change applied only to Nujoma. He won the 1999 election with 76.8% of the vote.[3] The constitution did not allow Nujoma to run in November 2004 for a fourth term, and there was not much enthusiasm even within SWAPO to change it again. Hifikepunye Pohamba, described by some as Nujoma's "hand-picked successor", was elected as the candidate for the presidential election during the SWAPO congress held on the 30 May 2004, defeating two other candidates, Nahas Angula and Hidipo Hamutenya. The latter had been dismissed from his post of Foreign Affairs minister by Nujoma barely two days before the congress. Pohamba was elected with a large majority and was sworn in on March 21, 2005.

[edit] Post-presidency

While Pohamba replaced Nujoma as the President of Namibia, Nujoma stayed on as President of SWAPO.[4] There was speculation that he would be re-elected as SWAPO leader in 2007 and that he was planning to run for president again in 2009.[5] In early October 2007, however, Nujoma said that he had no intention of seeking re-election as SWAPO President and would stand aside in favor of Pohamba, the Vice-President of SWAPO, later in the year, after 47 years as party leader.[6][7] Pohamba was accordingly elected unopposed as SWAPO President on November 29, 2007 at a party congress. Nujoma said that he was "passing the torch and mantle of leadership to comrade Pohamba".[8] The congress also decided to give Nujoma the title of Leader of the Namibian Revolution, in addition to his existing title, Founding Father of the Namibian Nation.[9] Choosing to leave active politics, Nujoma was not re-elected to the SWAPO Central Committee or the Politburo,[10] but the congress granted him permission to attend meetings of the Central Committee and Politburo "at his discretion". He may also receive the title of National Chairman of SWAPO.[9]

Nujoma's son Utoni Nujoma is Deputy Minister of Justice and was elected to the Central Committee and Politburo of SWAPO at its November 2007 congress.[9]

The director of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) in Namibia stated that Nujoma had connections to the CIA.[11] The organization has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Nujoma and what they say is his role in disappearances during his term.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Baffour Ankomah, Nujoma - 'No Fourth Term For Me', Swans, November 17, 2003.
  2. ^ [1], August 6, 1992.
  3. ^ a b Elections in Namibia, African Elections Database.
  4. ^ "NAMIBIA: Election expected to be low-key", IRIN, November 12, 2004.
  5. ^ John Grobler, "Play it again, Sam", Mail & Guardian Online (South Africa), February 4, 2007.
  6. ^ "Former president Nujoma to quit active politics", African Press Agency, October 2, 2007.
  7. ^ "Namibia's ex-president retires", AFP (News24.com), October 3, 2007.
  8. ^ "Nujoma succeeded by Pohamba", AFP (IOL), November 30, 2007.
  9. ^ a b c Brigitte Weidlich, "A title for Nujoma, brickbats for media", The Namibian, December 3, 2007.
  10. ^ Christof Maletsky, "Swapo big names dropped", The Namibian, December 3, 2007.
  11. ^ P. ya Nangoloh, An expose about Nujoma's CIA connections. Part 1, February 07, 2007.
  12. ^ "Namibian group seeks ICC investigation of ex-leader", Reuters, republished on CNN.com, CNN, 2007-7-31. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. 

[edit] Bibliography

  • Sam Nujoma, Where Others Wavered, The Autobiography of Sam Nujoma, London 2001

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Political offices
Preceded by
–		 President of Namibia
1990 – 2005		 Succeeded by
Hifikepunye Pohamba


v • d • e
Presidents of Namibia
Sam Nujoma • Hifikepunye Pohamba
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