Utoni Nujoma

Utoni Nujoma
Minister of Land Reform
Assumed office
21 March 2015
President Hage Geingob
Preceded by Alpheus ǃNaruseb
Minister of Justice
In office
4 December 2012  21 March 2015
President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Preceded by Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
Succeeded by Albert Kawana
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
2010  4 December 2012
President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Preceded by Marco Hausiku
Succeeded by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Personal details
Born (1952-09-08) 8 September 1952
Windhoek
Nationality Namibian
Political party SWAPO
Alma mater University of Warwick
Lund University
Occupation Politician

Utoni Daniel Nujoma (born 8 September 1952) is a Namibian politician who has served in the government of Namibia as Minister of Land Reform since 2015. Previously he was Deputy Minister of Justice from 2005 to 2010, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2012, and Minister of Justice from 2012 to 2015. Nujoma is also a member of the Central Committee and Politburo of SWAPO.[1] He is the first born of Sam Nujoma, who was President of Namibia from 1990 to 2005, and Kovambo Nujoma, the former First Lady of Namibia.

Education and early life

Nujoma was born in Windhoek's Old Location and raised by his mother Kovambo, as his father, SWAPO leader Sam Nujoma left for exile when Utoni was eight years old. He attended Rhenish Missionary School in Windhoek and later the Augustineum but was expelled in 1972 due to his political activity. In May 1974, Nujoma and his two brothers John and Sacky left to join their father in exile in Angola.[2][3]

In 1974 Nujoma was sent to the Soviet Union to receive training in guerrilla warfare. After his return to Zambia he was stationed at the People's Liberation Army of Namibia's military base of Shaatotwa. After Angola became independent in 1975 he was transferred there. In 1986 Nujoma was sent to Cuba for studies in political science; he returned in 1987. After Independence of Namibia he graduated with an LLB degree from University of Warwick in England (1991), and with a LLM degree from Lund University in Sweden in 1995.[3]

Politics

Nujoma served as Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice between 1992 and 1996. He was first elected to the Central Committee of SWAPO at the party's August 2002 congress,[4] receiving 316 votes and placing 22nd out of the 57 members elected.[5] He has served as a member of the National Assembly of Namibia and became Deputy Minister of Justice in March 2005.[6] He received the second highest number of votes in the election for members of the Central Committee at SWAPO's November 2007 congress.[7]

Nujomi was promoted to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2010.[3] In the wake of the December 2012 SWAPO congress and the subsequent Cabinet reshuffle, Nujoma became Minister of Justice, succeeding Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana.[8] Nujoma was appointed as Minister of Land Reform by President Hage Geingob in March 2015.[9]

References

  1. "Utoni Nujoma verbally assaults Editor". Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  2. Hopwood, Graham. Guide to Namibian Politics, 2007 edition. Namibia Institute for Democracy, Windhoek, 2007
  3. 1 2 3 "Profile of Comrade Utoni Nujoma, Candidate for SWAPO Party Secretary General". The Namibian. 23 November 2012. p. 24f.
  4. Tangeni Amupadhi, "Few surprises in CC vote", The Namibian, August 29, 2002.
  5. "The ruling party's new Central Committee", The Namibian, August 27, 2002.
  6. Profile at Namibian Parliament website.
  7. Christof Maletsky, "Swapo big names dropped", The Namibian, December 3, 2007.
  8. Shipanga, Selma; Immanuel, Shinovene (5 December 2012). "Transition team picked". The Namibian.
  9. "Geingob announces Cabinet", The Namibian, 20 March 2015.
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