(1929-05-12) 12 May 1929 (age 95) Ongandjera, Ovamboland, South West Africa (now Omusati Region, Namibia)
Political party
SWAPO, OPO
Spouse
Kovambo Mushimba
(m. 1956)
Children
Utoni Daniel (born 1952) John Ndeshipanda (1955-1993) Sakaria Nefungo (born 1957) Nelago (1959–1961)
Alma mater
University of Namibia
Religion
Lutheran
Website
www.samnujomafoundation.org
Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma,[1] (/nuːˈjoʊmə/; born 12 May 1929) is a Namibian revolutionary, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three terms as the first President of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005. Nujoma was a founding member and the first president of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) in 1960. Prior to 1960, SWAPO was known as the Ovambo People's Organisation (OPO). He played an important role as leader of the national liberation movement in campaigning for Namibia's political independence from South African rule. He established the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) in 1962 and launched a guerrilla war against the apartheid government of South Africa in August 1966 at Omugulugwombashe, beginning after the United Nations withdrew the mandate for South Africa to govern the territory. Nujoma led SWAPO during the lengthy Namibian War of Independence, which lasted from 1966 to 1989.
During World War I, South Africa defeated the German colonial forces in South West Africa and established martial law in the colony after making a peace treaty in July 1915. After the war, the League of Nations officially assigned the former German colony to the United Kingdom as a mandate under the administration of South Africa. When the National Party won the 1948 election in South Africa, it passed laws establishing racial segregation known as apartheid. It applied these laws to South West Africa as well, which it governed as the de facto fifth province of South Africa.
Nujoma became involved in anti-colonial politics during the 1950s. In 1959, he cofounded and served as the first president of the Ovamboland People's Organization (OPO), a nationalist organization advocating an independent Namibia. In December 1958 he was an organizer of the Old Location resistance and was arrested and deported to Ovamboland. In 1960 he escaped and went into exile in Tanzania where he was welcomed by Julius Nyerere.
Namibia finally achieved independence from South Africa in 1990, holding its first democratic elections. SWAPO won a majority and Nujoma was elected as the country's first President on 21 March 1990. He was re-elected for two more terms in 1994 and 1999. Nujoma retired as SWAPO party president on 30 November 2007.
He published his autobiography Where Others Wavered in 2005. He has received multiple honors and awards for his leadership, including the Lenin Peace Prize, Indira Gandhi Peace Prize, and the Ho Chi Minh Peace Prize. The Parliament of Namibia honored him with the titles "Founding President of the Republic of Namibia" and "Father of the Namibian Nation". In 2007 SWAPO named him as "Leader of the Namibian Revolution."
^Adeola, Ade (19 January 2016). 2222 Facts About Africa. Ade Adeola. ISBN 978-1-783-01867-3.[permanent dead link]
Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma, (/nuːˈjoʊmə/; born 12 May 1929) is a Namibian revolutionary, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served three...
SamNujoma Stadium (also called the SamNujoma Soccer Stadium or SNSS) is a football (soccer) stadium in Katutura, Windhoek, Namibia. The stadium holds...
SamNujoma Street is one of the main streets of Harare, Zimbabwe. It was originally called Second Street but was renamed to SamNujoma Street to honor...
Nujoma is also a member of both the central committee and the politburo of SWAPO. He is the first born son of Namibia's founding President SamNujoma...
The transition got off to a shaky start. Contrary to SWAPO President SamNujoma's written assurances to the UN Secretary General to abide by a cease-fire...
former First Lady of Namibia. Nujoma, who is the wife of former president SamNujoma, was the inaugural First Lady of Namibia for 15 years from the country's...
SWAPO president SamNujoma was declared Namibia's first President after SWAPO won the inaugural election in 1989. A decade later, Nujoma had the constitution...
the newly-independent Tanganyika (today part of Tanzania) where he met SamNujoma, later Namibia's first president, for the first time. It was resolved...
economist in the Office of the President under SamNujoma. In 1995, after only a few months in the job, Nujoma appointed her to parliament at the age of 27...
for all but the 10 and 20 dollar notes, which feature a new portrait of SamNujoma, the founding president and father of the Namibian nation. The Bank of...
that position in 1987, he became Personal Secretary to SWAPO President SamNujoma. He was the joint administrator of Walvis Bay during its handover to Namibia...
independence and served as a member of parliament and as cabinet minister in SamNujoma's first government. He retired from active politics in 2006. Ya Toivo is...
right to institute the proceedings. Around March 1962 SWAPO President SamNujoma visited the party's refugee camps across Tanzania, describing his recent...
once Constituting instrument Constitution of Namibia Inaugural holder SamNujoma Formation 21 March 1990 Deputy Vice-President of Namibia Salary N$ 1,822...
Drafting of Namibia's Constitution, Hage G Geingob Christof Maletsky, "Nujoma shuffles the Cabinet pack", The Namibian, 28 August 2002. Archived 19 November...
example, in 2001, then-president of Namibia SamNujoma renamed the main street (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße) SamNujoma Avenue in honour of himself. The discovery...
Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct. SamNujoma Street in Harare. Business district in Bulawayo. Aerial view of Sable...
and Broadcasting and served as minister until 2000. In 2000, president SamNujoma dismissed him from his cabinet post. He retained his seat in the National...
travel to polling stations by voters in remote areas. Incumbent President SamNujoma of SWAPO was re-elected with over 76% of the vote, whilst SWAPO won 55...
While living in exile in Dar es Salaam, Muyongo negotiated a merger with SamNujoma's South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) party and served as SWAPO...
of Namibia's founding President SamNujoma. Mushimba, who was the brother of President SamNujoma's wife, Kovambo Nujoma, was involved in the liberation...
4 June 2016 SamNujoma Stadium, Windhoek, Namibia Niger 1–0 1–0 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification 4 11 November 2017 SamNujoma Stadium, Windhoek...
however conventional and luxury shopping can be found on Fife Avenue, SamNujoma (Union) Avenue, Arundel Village, Avondale, Borrowdale, Eastgate and Westgate...
number of pupils that later became notable, including Clemens Kapuuo, SamNujoma, Mburumba Kerina, Tjama Tjivikua and Kuaima Riruako. The school was destroyed...
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