Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s first president and a key determine within the nation’s liberation from South African rule, has died on the age of 95 within the capital, Windhoek.
His loss of life was introduced with “utmost sorrow and unhappiness” by Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba on Sunday.
Nujoma, a revolutionary chief, was instrumental in Namibia’s battle for independence. He helped discovered the South West Individuals’s Organisation (Swapo) within the Sixties, main the motion towards South African rule. When Namibia gained independence in 1990, he turned its first democratically elected president, serving till 2005.
Throughout his presidency, Nujoma prioritised nationwide unity, implementing a coverage of reconciliation that inspired white Namibians to stay within the nation and contribute to the financial system. His authorities additionally championed ladies’s and kids’s rights, introducing insurance policies corresponding to obligatory baby assist for fathers of youngsters born out of wedlock.
President Mbumba hailed Nujoma as “the daddy of the nation,” praising his position in securing peace and stability for Namibia. Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, set to turn into Namibia’s subsequent president in March, credited him with laying the muse for a free and united nation.
African leaders have additionally expressed condolences. African Union Fee Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat known as Nujoma “the epitome of braveness”, whereas South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described him as an “extraordinary freedom fighter” who performed a pivotal position in dismantling white-minority rule in each Namibia and South Africa.
Many Namibians have reacted with deep sorrow, remembering Nujoma as a logo of resilience and management. President Mbumba, visibly emotional, visited his house to supply condolences to his spouse, Kovambo Theopoldine Katjimune, and household.
Funeral preparations are but to be introduced because the nation mourns the passing of its founding father.
