Sam Nujoma 295598 226108118 2008-07-16T21:20:22Z Rjwilmsi 203434 gen fixes + link/fix date fields in cite templates (explanation [[User:Rjwilmsi#My_correction_of_citation_templates|here]]) using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Infobox_President|name=Sam Nujoma |image=Namibia.SamNujoma.01.jpg |order=1st [[List of Presidents of Namibia|President of Namibia]] |term_start=[[March 21]], [[1990]] |term_end=[[March 21]], [[2005]] |predecessor=None |successor=[[Hifikepunye Pohamba]] |birth_date={{Birth date and age|1929|5|12|mf=y}} |birth_place=[[Ongandjera]], [[Namibia]] |party=[[South-West Africa People's Organisation|SWAPO]] }} '''Samuel Daniel Shafiishuna Nujoma''' (born [[May 12]], [[1929]] in [[Ongandjera]], [[South West Africa]] (now [[Omusati Region]]) is a former [[President of Namibia]] as well as leader of Namibia's liberation movement from the late 1950s until independence in 1990. He was inaugurated as President on [[21 March]], [[1990]] and was subsequently re-elected in [[Namibian presidential election, 1994|1994]] and [[Namibian presidential election, 1999|1999]], serving until [[2005]]. He was also President of the [[South-West Africa People's Organisation]] (SWAPO) from its founding in 1960 until 2007. ==Early life== Nujoma was born in the north of the country, in [[Ongandjera]], which is part of the cultural area known as [[Ovamboland]]. His mother, Mpingana Helvi Kondombolo, was still alive as of 2005, and over 100 years old. ==President of SWAPO== In 1960 he became the first President of the South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), having co-founded its forerunner, the Ovamboland People's Organization, in the late 1950s. At the time South Africa administered the land under a policy of [[apartheid]], or division, in which the best resources were reserved for those classified [[whites|white]], while other Namibians were treated as inferior and forbidden from active participation in their country. After years of asking the UN to ensure the ruling power [[South Africa]] released control of South West Africa, he authorized armed resistance in 1966. This began the [[Namibian War of Independence]], which lasted 24 years. During the struggle, Nujoma took the combat name "Shafiishuna", meaning "lightning", as the name was in his family on his father's side.<ref>Baffour Ankomah, [http://www.swans.com/library/art9/ankomah9.html Nujoma - 'No Fourth Term For Me'], ''Swans'', November 17, 2003.</ref> The South African military easily dealt with SWAPO while simultaneously being busy with military campaigns in other countries. There has also been questions about how much fighting, if any, Nujoma actually took part in. ==President of Namibia== {{wrapper}} [[Image:Every Namibian Nujoma.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nujoma pictured on an HIV billboard in 2004]] As head of SWAPO, Nujoma was unanimously declared president upon the victory of SWAPO in a [[United Nations]]-supervised election in 1989, and was sworn in by [[United Nations Secretary-General|UN Secretary-General]] [[Javier Pérez de Cuéllar]] on [[March 21]], [[1990]]. In 1992, [[Norway]] decided to stop drought relief to Namibia in response to the purchase of an expensive new presidential jet and two new [[Very Important Person (person)|VIP]] helicopters. The planes were bought just few weeks after Sam Nujoma had appealed to the international community for drought [[aid]].<ref>[http://70.84.171.10/~etools/newsbrief/1992/news9208.07], August 6, 1992.</ref> Nujoma initiated a plan for [[land reform]], in which land would be redistributed from whites (who, despite constituting only a small percentage of the population, own a disproportionately large amount of the nation's farmland) to blacks, although it is being implemented on a more gradual and long-term basis than in nearby [[Zimbabwe]]. Nujoma has been vocal in his support for Zimbabwe and its president, [[Robert Mugabe]], in the face of the criticism the Zimbabwean government has received from the West for its land reform program. Since 2003, [[Land reform in Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe's land reform programs]] have resulted in white farmers' lands being seized without compensation. Nujoma was re-elected as President of Namibia in December 1994 with 76.3% of the vote.<ref name=DB>[http://africanelections.tripod.com/na.html Elections in Namibia], African Elections Database.</ref> The [[constitution of Namibia]] was changed to allow Nujoma to run for a third five-year term in 1999; this was justified on the grounds that he had not been directly elected for his first term, and the change applied only to Nujoma. He won the 1999 election with 76.8% of the vote.<ref name=DB/> The constitution did not allow Nujoma to run in November 2004 for a fourth term, and there was not much enthusiasm even within SWAPO to change it again. [[Hifikepunye Pohamba]], described by some as Nujoma's "hand-picked successor", was elected as the candidate for the presidential election during the SWAPO congress held on the 30 May 2004, defeating two other candidates, [[Nahas Angula]] and [[Hidipo Hamutenya]]. The latter had been dismissed from his post of Foreign Affairs minister by Nujoma barely two days before the congress. Pohamba was elected with a large majority and was sworn in on [[March 21]], [[2005]]. ==Post-presidency== While Pohamba replaced Nujoma as the President of Namibia, Nujoma stayed on as President of SWAPO.<ref>[http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44135&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=NAMIBIA "NAMIBIA: Election expected to be low-key"], IRIN, November 12, 2004.</ref> There was speculation that he would be re-elected as SWAPO leader in 2007 and that he was planning to run for president again in 2009.<ref>John Grobler, [http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=297812&area=/insight/insight__africa/ "Play it again, Sam"], ''Mail & Guardian Online'' (South Africa), February 4, 2007.</ref> In early October 2007, however, Nujoma said that he had no intention of seeking re-election as SWAPO President and would stand aside in favor of Pohamba, the Vice-President of SWAPO, later in the year, after 47 years as party leader.<ref>[http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=43127 "Former president Nujoma to quit active politics"], African Press Agency, October 2, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2194742,00.html "Namibia's ex-president retires"], AFP (News24.com), October 3, 2007.</ref> Pohamba was accordingly elected unopposed as SWAPO President on [[November 29]] [[2007]] at a party congress. Nujoma said that he was "passing the torch and mantle of leadership to comrade Pohamba".<ref>[http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=nw20071129225608276C206604 "Nujoma succeeded by Pohamba"], AFP (''IOL''), November 30, 2007.</ref> The congress also decided to give Nujoma the title of Leader of the Namibian Revolution, in addition to his existing title, Founding Father of the Namibian Nation.<ref name=Title>Brigitte Weidlich, [http://www.namibian.com.na/2007/December/national/07D1281355.html "A title for Nujoma, brickbats for media"], ''The Namibian'', December 3, 2007.</ref> Choosing to leave active politics, Nujoma was not re-elected to the SWAPO Central Committee or the Politburo,<ref>Christof Maletsky, [http://www.namibian.com.na/2007/December/national/07D12794AF.html "Swapo big names dropped"], ''The Namibian'', December 3, 2007.</ref> but the congress granted him permission to attend meetings of the Central Committee and Politburo "at his discretion". He may also receive the title of National Chairman of SWAPO.<ref name=Title/> Nujoma's son [[Utoni Nujoma]] is Deputy Minister of Justice and was elected to the Central Committee and Politburo of SWAPO at its November 2007 congress.<ref name=Title/> The director of the [[National Society for Human Rights]] (NSHR) in Namibia stated that Nujoma had connections to the CIA.<ref>P. ya Nangoloh, [http://www.nshr.org.na/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=662 An expose about Nujoma's CIA connections. Part 1], February 07, 2007.</ref> The organization has asked the [[International Criminal Court]] to investigate Nujoma and what they say is his role in disappearances during his term.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Namibian group seeks ICC investigation of ex-leader |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/07/31/namibia.nujoma.reut/index.html |work=Reuters, republished on CNN.com |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=2007-07-31 |accessdate=2007-08-10 }}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==Bibliography== *Sam Nujoma, ''[[Where Others Wavered]], The Autobiography of Sam Nujoma'', London 2001 ==See also== *[[History of Namibia]] ==External links== *[http://www.welt.de/data/2002/12/02/21533.html Nujoma's interview to German magazine Die Welt (in German)] *[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468524/ Nujoma: Where Others Wavered (2006) imdb] {{start box}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=[[List of Presidents of Namibia|President of Namibia]]| before=&ndash; | after=[[Hifikepunye Pohamba]]| years=[[1990]] &ndash; [[2005]] | }} {{end box}} {{NamibianPresidents}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nujoma, Sam}} [[Category:1929 births]] [[Category:Namibian politicians]] [[Category:Indira Gandhi Peace Prize recipients]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Presidents of Namibia]] [[Category:Revolutionaries]] [[Category:Members of the South West Africa People's Organization]] [[af:Sam Nujoma]] [[cs:Sam Nujoma]] [[de:Samuel Shafishuna Nujoma]] [[es:Sam Nujoma]] [[fr:Sam Nujoma]] [[gl:Sam Nujoma]] [[hr:Sam Nujoma]] [[id:Sam Nujoma]] [[nl:Sam Nujoma]] [[ja:サム・ヌジョマ]] [[oc:Sam Nujoma]] [[pl:Sam Nujoma]] [[pt:Sam Nujoma]] [[ru:Нуйома, Сэм]] [[fi:Sam Nujoma]] [[sv:Sam Nujoma]] [[zh:萨姆·努乔马]]