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Sam NujomaFirst President of independent Namibia
Date of Birth: 12.05.1929
Country:  Namibia |
Content:
Biography of Sam Nujoma
Samuel Daniel Nujoma, the first President of independent Namibia, was born on May 12, 1929, in Ovamboland, a region in northern Namibia. He received his education in missionary schools in Ovamboland and Windhoek.
Early Career
From 1949 to 1959, Nujoma worked as a civil servant. He started in the Namibian branch of the South African Railways and then worked in the trading system and various institutions in the capital, Windhoek.
Political Activism
In the late 1950s, Nujoma developed an interest in politics and became an activist for the first Namibian African political organization, the South West Africa National Union (SWANU), in 1959. He participated in protests against the forced removal of Namibians from Windhoek to the outskirts of the city, which led to his arrest and imprisonment.
In 1960, Nujoma traveled to New York with a petition against the illegal occupation of Namibia. He joined the recently formed South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) and became its leader in 1962, displacing Mbumburumba Kerina. He transformed SWAPO into a liberation movement and conducted its first military operation in 1966.
Struggle for Independence
From 1966 to 1988, Nujoma and SWAPO periodically launched attacks on fortified South African positions in Namibia, operating from refugee camps in Zambia and later from independent Angola. Nujoma also worked to gain support for Namibia's independence struggle from his headquarters in Lusaka (Zambia) and other world capitals, including Moscow and Havana.
In late 1988, SWAPO and South Africa agreed to a ceasefire and developed a plan for Namibia's independence based on United Nations Resolution 435 (1978). The plan included the cessation of hostilities, the phased withdrawal of South African troops from Namibia, and the holding of elections under UN supervision. In 1979, Namibian political prisoners were released, and refugees and exiled political leaders returned home.
Presidency and Legacy
On September 14, 1989, Nujoma returned to Namibia. In the elections held on November 6, SWAPO won 57% of the votes and 41 seats in the parliament (out of 72). On March 21, 1990, the first day of Namibia's independence, Nujoma was sworn in as the country's first President.
Nujoma received international recognition for his efforts to address racial issues in Namibia after 1990. He was re-elected with a overwhelming majority of votes in 1994. In 1998, SWAPO won the majority of votes in local elections. Despite the constitutional prohibition of serving more than two five-year terms as President, SWAPO announced that Nujoma would run for the presidency in 1999.
