Nahas Angula

Nahas Angula
Minister of Defense
In office
4 December 2012  21 March 2015
President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Preceded by Charles Namoloh
Succeeded by Penda Ya Ndakolo
3rd Prime Minister of Namibia
In office
21 March 2005  4 December 2012
President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Preceded by Theo-Ben Gurirab
Succeeded by Hage Geingob
Minister of Higher Education
In office
21 March 1995  21 March 2005
President Sam Nujoma
Succeeded by Nangolo Mbumba
Minister of Education, Sport, and Culture
In office
21 March 1990  21 March 1995
President Sam Nujoma
Preceded by position established
Personal details
Born (1943-08-22) 22 August 1943
Onyaanya Constituency, South-West Africa
Political party SWAPO
Spouse(s) Katrina Tangeni Namalenga
Children 2
Alma mater University of Zambia
Columbia University
University of Manchester
Religion Lutheranism

Nahas Gideon Angula (born 22 August 1943[1][2]) is a Namibian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 4 December 2012. He was succeeded by Hage Geingob in a cabinet reshuffle after the 2012 SWAPO congress. He subsequently served as Minister of Defence from 2012 to 2015.

Angula is a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). He was Minister of Education, Sport, and Culture from 1990 to 1995 and Minister of Higher Education from 1995 to 2005.

Political career

Angula was born in Onyaanya, Oshikoto Region. He was in exile from Namibia from 1965 to 1989, and during this time he worked for Radio Zambia from 1973 to 1976 and for the United Nations as a civil servant from 1976 to 1980 before becoming a SWAPO organizer in 1980. He was in charge of SWAPO voter registration in 1989.[1] Immediately prior to independence, Angula was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly of Namibia, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990.[3]

Angula became a member of the National Assembly in 1990. He was Minister of Education, Sport, and Culture from 1990 to 1995 and Minister of Higher Education from 1995[1][2] to 2005.

Angula received the highest number of votes, 395 (tied with Jerry Ekandjo), in the election to the Central Committee of SWAPO at the party's August 2002 congress.[4] He was one of three candidates who sought SWAPO's nomination as its presidential candidate in May 2004.[5] He placed third in the first round, receiving 137 votes, while Hifikepunye Pohamba received 213 and Hidipo Hamutenya received 166, and he was therefore excluded from the second round. Those who supported Angula backed Pohamba almost without exception in the second round of voting, and Pohamba was victorious.[6]

On March 21, 2005, when Pohamba was sworn in as President of Namibia, he announced that he was appointing Angula as Prime Minister of Namibia.[7]

After Hage Geingob was re-elected as SWAPO Vice-President on 2 December 2012, and thus confirmed as SWAPO's 2014 presidential candidate, President Pohamba appointed Geingob to replace Angula as Prime Minister on 4 December 2012. Angula was instead appointed as Minister of Defense.[8][9]

Amidst a push for new faces in the National Assembly, Angula opted not to seek a spot on the SWAPO list for the 2014 election.[10]

Education and personal life

Angula received a master's degree in education from Columbia University.[11] He is a member of the Lutheran church, as has been his family for generations.[12]

References

Political offices
Preceded by
Theo-Ben Gurirab
Prime Minister of Namibia
2005–2012
Succeeded by
Hage Geingob
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