The first president of independent Namibia, Sam Nujoma, who died at the age of 95 ,led the long fight for independence from South Africa in 1990 after helping found Namibia’s liberation movement known as the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) in the 1960s.
After independence, Nujoma became president in 1990 and led the country until 2005.
Nujoma had been hospitalised over the past three weeks with an illness from which he “could not recover”, Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba said in a statement thus ,” he inspired us to rise to our feet and to become masters of this vast land of our ancestors.
Nujoma retired as head of state in 2005, but continued to lead the party before stepping down in 2007 as president of the ruling Swapo party after 47 years at the helm.
Nujoma is widely credited for ensuring peace and stability after independence from South Africa, which was then under white-minority rule, in 1990.
Nujoma’s policy of national reconciliation encouraged the country’s white community to remain, and they still play a major role in farming and other sectors of the economy.
He also championed the rights of women and children, including making fathers pay for the maintenance of children born out of wedlock.
Despite his monumental contributions to liberation, his presidency was not without controversy, as critics pointed to his discriminatory rhetoric and extended hold on power. Even after stepping down from formal roles in 2007, Nujoma remained active in politics until his death at 95, leaving behind a complex legacy that blended visionary leadership with contentious actions.
