Namibia Mourns Sam Nujoma: Independence Hero, Revolutionary Leader, and First President Passes Away at 95 After Decades of Service
Windhoek, Namibia – Namibia’s first president and independence hero, Sam Nujoma, has died at the age of 95, the presidency announced on Sunday.
Nujoma, who led the country’s liberation struggle against South African rule, passed away on Saturday, February 8, 2025, after weeks of hospitalization. President Nangolo Mbumba confirmed his death, saying Nujoma had been battling an illness from which he “could not recover.”
“With the utmost sorrow and sadness, I announce the passing of our revered freedom fighter and revolutionary leader,”
Mbumba said in a statement.
“Our Founding Father lived a long and consequential life, during which he exceptionally served the people of his beloved country.”
From Humble Beginnings to Revolutionary Leader
Born on May 12, 1929, in the remote village of Etunda, northern Namibia, Samuel Shafiishuna Nujoma grew up in a farming family as the eldest of ten children. He attended local schools but had to leave formal education at the age of 16 to help support his family.
In 1949, Nujoma moved to Windhoek, the capital, where he worked as a railway sweeper while attending night school. It was there that he met Herero tribal chief Hosea Kutako, a strong advocate for Namibia’s independence from apartheid South Africa. Kutako became his mentor, guiding him into activism.
Champion of Namibia’s Independence
By 1960, Nujoma had emerged as the leader of Namibia’s independence movement. He co-founded the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) and was elected its first president. Forced into exile the same year, he tirelessly campaigned across the world, lobbying for international support against South African rule.
In 1966, SWAPO launched an armed resistance after South Africa refused to relinquish control of Namibia, defying a United Nations mandate. The conflict lasted for more than two decades, until Namibia finally achieved independence on March 21, 1990, making it one of Africa’s last nations to break free from colonial rule.
Decades of Leadership and Controversies
Nujoma became Namibia’s first democratically elected president in 1990, serving three consecutive terms until 2005. Under his leadership, the country experienced relative economic growth and political stability.
He was praised for his policies on education, healthcare, and economic development, but also faced criticism. His administration was accused of failing to reintegrate hundreds of SWAPO fighters, whom the party had detained in Angola over allegations of being South African spies.
He also held conservative social views, notably opposing LGBTQ+ rights, calling homosexuality a “madness” in 2001, and threatening arrests or deportation for gay individuals.
Despite these controversies, Nujoma remained an influential figure in Namibian politics long after his presidency. His handpicked successor, Hifikepunye Pohamba, won the 2005 elections, but Nujoma was widely seen as the power behind the throne until he officially retired from politics in 2007.
Tributes Pour In for Namibia’s Liberation Icon
President Mbumba hailed Nujoma’s contributions, saying,
“He inspired us to rise to our feet and become masters of this vast land of our ancestors.”
President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who will be sworn in next month, also paid tribute to him:
“His visionary leadership and dedication to liberation and nation-building laid the foundation for our free, united nation.”
As Namibia mourns the passing of its founding father, Nujoma’s legacy as a fearless revolutionary, a political icon, and the architect of an independent Namibia remains firmly etched in history.
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