Agnes Kafula

Agnes Mpingana Kafula (born 1 November 1955^[1]) is a Namibian politician who has served as Mayor of Windhoek since November 2012.^[2][3]

Education and political career

Born at Onuumba village in Etayi constituency, Kafula enrolled at the Uukwana-Ishikane Roman Catholic School at the same village where she did her primary education until 1973 before moving back to Etayi to stay with her grandmother. In 1974, she continued her schooling at Oshakati Secondary School until 1976, and taught at Etayi Primary School till September 1977, when Agnes fled Namibia to join the war of liberation led by SWAPO, in neighbouring Angola. She was one of the fortunate few who survived the Cassinga massacre of 4 May 1978 during Namibia’s liberation struggle and have escaped death by a miraculous margin.

After receiving military training, Agnes was, amongst others, assigned to teach adults basic education and set-up a day-care for the children in Cassinga Settlement. In October 1978, Agnes attended a course for women on Child Development in Lusaka, Zambia, and was trained in Child-Care at the College of Ansetion in Bourneville, UK. Agnes attended the Party School in Moscow, Soviet Union in 1985 where she obtained a Certificate in Social Sciences.

She later returned to Luanda, Angola to resume her work in the Office of the Administrative Secretary until July 1987 before becoming a Personal Assistant (PA) to the Director of the United Nations Vocational Training Centre for Namibians (UNVCT) in Sumbe, Angola. After Independence, Agnes served in different capacities at various government levels.

Agnes was first elected to the City Council of Windhoek in May 2004. She served as a member of the Management Committee (2005-2007), a Deputy Mayor in 2008 and the Chairperson of the City’s Management Committee in 2011-2012, before elected as Mayor in December 2012. In the City Council annual elections office bearers held on 2 December 2013, Agnes was once again re-elected to serve as the Mayor of the City of Windhoek and Chairperson of the Windhoek City Council.

At party politics, Agnes is a member of the ruling SWAPO Party Women Council; member of its Sub-Committee on Information and Mobilization; and one of the National Leaders assigned to the Khomas Region. Agnes emerged number four (4) on the list of the SWAPO Party Electoral College held in September 2014, for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections to be held in November 2014. This makes her eligible for the Party’s Parliamentary seat in Namibia’s 5th Parliament, come March 2015.^[4]

Agnes is the President of the Association of Local Authority in Namibia (ALAN), the national umbrella body of local authorities, a position she occupied since 2011. At ruling party level, Agnes is one of the national leaders assigned to the Khomas Region. She also served as a member of the Council of UNAM from 2004, until July 2012.

At a continental level, Agnes is a member of the United Cities and Local Government in Africa (UCLGA) an influential continental local Government body. She has spearheaded various local government programs within Namibia and participated in continental local government transformation projects. Agnes is employed by the Ministry of Home Affairs heading the Division that deals with Birth, Marriages and Death recording.^[5]

Controversy

During her tenure as mayor of the City of Windhoek, Kafula was involved in dubious land sale deals by awarding land at discount prices to friends and family,^[6] resulting in the mass land demonstration in Windhoek.^[7][8]

References