Sam Nujoma
Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s first democratically elected president and a key figure in the country’s independence movement, passed away at the age of 95 on Saturday, the Namibian Presidency announced on X.
Nujoma, a former activist and guerrilla leader, played a pivotal role in liberating Namibia from apartheid South African rule and served as president from 1990 to 2005.
While widely celebrated for his leadership, Nujoma faced criticism both domestically and internationally for his intolerance of dissent, opposition to homosexuality, and the 1998 constitutional amendment that allowed him to run for a third term.
A longtime ally of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, he supported Mugabe’s controversial land seizures, though Namibia followed a more restrained “willing buyer, willing seller” approach.
The presidency described Nujoma as a guiding force in Namibia’s struggle, stating, “Our venerable leader did not only blaze the trail to freedom but inspired us to rise to our feet.” He had been hospitalized for three weeks before his passing.
Nujoma’s leadership was marked by efforts to unify a country deeply scarred by colonialism and apartheid. Under his SWAPO party, Namibia adopted a reconciliation policy under the slogan “One Namibia, One Nation.” He often emphasized unity, saying, “A united people, striving to achieve a common good, will always emerge victorious.”
His achievements included building democratic institutions and fostering reconciliation. However, political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah noted that Nujoma’s legacy was also marred by autocratic tendencies, such as his suppression of the 1999 Caprivi rebellion and restrictions on media freedom.
Born in 1929 under South African administration, Nujoma grew up herding cattle before moving to Windhoek, where he worked for South African Railways.
In the late 1950s, he became a leader of Namibia’s independence movement, organizing resistance against apartheid policies. Arrested for his activism, he fled into exile in 1960, advocating for Namibia’s freedom at the United Nations.
While in exile, Nujoma was elected SWAPO leader and launched a guerrilla campaign against the South African regime in 1966. His decades-long struggle, along with international pressure, led to Namibia’s independence in 1990, when he assumed office as its first president.
