This is the list of all the presidents who have served Namibia from 1990 till date, which include their terms in office, and political affiliations:
No. | Name | Term of Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sam Nujoma | 21 March 1990 - 21 March 2005 | SWAPO |
2 | Hifikepunye Pohamba | 21 March 2005 - 21 March 2015 | SWAPO |
3 | Hage Geingob | 21 March 2015 - 4 Feb 2024 † | SWAPO |
4 | Nangolo Mbumba | 25 Jan 2024 - 4 Feb 2024 | SWAPO |
Nangolo Mbumba | 4 Feb 2024 - Present | SWAPO |
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Who Was The First President Of Namibia?
Sam Nujoma was the first president of Namibia, who served from March 21, 1990, to March 21, 2005. This was the first time the country became independent from South African rule.
Before independence, Namibia had been fighting for almost 30 years to be free. Nujoma was born on May 12, 1929, in the Owambo region.
When he was young, he did not have many chances to go to school, but he got involved in politics. He helped start the Ovamboland People’s Organization.
This group later became the South West Africa People’s Organization, known as SWAPO, in 1960. Nujoma led the fight against South African control through SWAPO’s military wing, the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia, or PLAN.
Many people around the world started to see SWAPO as the true leader of Namibia because of his work. The United Nations also supported a peace process, which led to Namibia becoming independent in 1990.
When Namibia gained independence, Nujoma was elected president in an election supervised by the UN. He had a lot of support from the people. Nujoma worked on building the nation, bringing people together, and developing the economy.
However, some people criticized him for being too strict. Yet, he was elected again in 1994 and 1999. His time as president saw many changes in Namibia’s politics and society. In 2005, Nujoma stepped down and handed over power to his successor, Hifikepunye Pohamba.
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Who Is The Current President Of Namibia?
The current President of Namibia is Nangolo Mbumba. He became President on February 4, 2024, after the death of the former President, Hage Geingob.
Mbumba is part of the ruling SWAPO party, and he was the Vice President from 2018 to 2024 before he became the president.
Mbumba was born on August 15, 1941, in Olukonda, which is in the Oshikoto Region of Namibia. In 1965, he left Namibia and went into exile. He became involved in politics and held several important roles.
In 1985, he was SWAPO’s Deputy Secretary for Education and Culture. Two years later, in 1987, he was the Personal Secretary to President Sam Nujoma. He came back to Namibia in 1989 to help with the UN-supervised elections.
During this time, he worked with Hage Geingob in the Office of the SWAPO Director of Elections. However, when Namibia became independent in 1990, Mbumba joined the new government as Secretary to the Cabinet until 1992.
After that, he held many different ministerial positions. He was the Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Rural Development from 1993 to 1996. Then, he became the Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2003.
Afterward, he served as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting from 2003 to 2005. He was the Minister of Education from 2005 to 2010, and then the Minister of Safety and Security from 2010 to 2012.
In 2012, Mbumba was elected SWAPO Party Secretary-General, which he kept until 2017. In 2018, Mbumba was appointed Vice President of Namibia.
He was in this role until he became President in February 2024, having taken on this new role to finish the term of Hage Geingob, which ends on March 21, 2025.
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Who Is The Vice-President Of Namibia?
The current Vice President of Namibia is Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. She was appointed to this position on February 4, 2024, by President Nangolo Mbumba.
Nandi-Ndaitwah is a member of the ruling SWAPO party and has made history as the first woman to hold the office of Vice President in Namibia.
She was born on October 29, 1952, in Onamutai, which is in the Oshana Region. And, she holds a Master of Arts degree in Diplomatic Studies.
Nandi-Ndaitwah has a lot of experience in politics. She has been serving in Namibia’s National Assembly since 1995, completing seven terms. Also, she has held many important positions in the government.
Some of these positions include Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Minister of Women & Child Welfare, and Minister of Environment and Tourism.
Besides her governmental roles, she was also the Vice President of SWAPO, the ruling party in Namibia. This makes her a key figure in Namibian politics and one of the leading candidates for the SWAPO presidential nomination in the 2024 general election.
Nandi-Ndaitwah became Vice President after the death of former President Hage Geingob on February 4, 2024. According to the Namibian constitution, if the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the Vice President becomes the Acting President.
This led to President Mbumba, who was the Vice President under Geingob, becoming the new President on the same day.
President Mbumba has announced that he will not run in the 2024 election, so Nandi-Ndaitwah will serve as Vice President until November 2024.