The Namibian Art

09/12/2024

Kazenambo Kazenambo, commonly known as KK, (6 July 1963 – 17 August 2021) was a Namibian politician.

A member of SWAPO, Kazenambo was first elected to the 4th National Assembly of Namibia in 2005 and appointed deputy Minister of Local and Regional Government, Housing and Rural Development. In 2010 he was promoted to Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture and served until 2012. He was a member of SWAPO's politburo.

Early life
Kazenambo was born in Maun, Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana), the son of Namibian refugees. He joined SWAPO in 1979, at the age of 16. Five years later in 1984, he travelled to Angola, where he received military training. In 1986, he joined the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, SWAPO's military wing, as a combatant. He fought with SWAPO until 1989, when negotiations ended the Namibian War of Independence. Prior to independence, he also worked as a journalist for the Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) and the Voice of Namibia radio program. A year later, Namibia became independent and he moved to Namibia, the land of his family, where he became a journalist for Namibia Today, the official mouthpiece of the SWAPO Party.

Political career
Kazenambo joined government in 1992 and became an advisor to prime minister Hage Geingob in 1996. A longtime member of the SWAPO Party Youth League (SPYL), Kazenambo was a member of its central committee from 1991 to 2002.

Following the 2004 general election, president Pohamba appointed Kazenambo as the deputy Minister of Local and Regional Government, Housing and Rural Development behind John Pandeni. Prior to the 2009 elections, Kazenambo was placed 9th overall out of 72 spots on the SWAPO list for the National Assembly. Kazenambo was appointed Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture in 2010 and served in this position until a cabinet reshuffle on 4 December 2012. In 2014 he was appointed to SWAPO's politburo.

Controversies
Kazenambo was known as a man of his words, never shy to offer his opinion. In January 2011, Windhoek police were called to separate Kazenambo and the manager of Hochland Park's Spar supermarket when the minister confronted the manager regarding his alleged mistreatment of black customers. Police removed Kazenambo from the store after a heated exchange which included allegations of racism. The cabinet minister had a similar incident at the airport in Munich, Germany.

In November 2011, Kazenambo publicly accused journalist Jan Poolman of the Namibian Sun of "buffoonery of the highest order of a perverted mind" and of being a thief and added that "whites should not take reconciliation for granted [...] [w]e will grab farms if they push this matter. We will push the Constitution aside if they scratch too far. Mark my words, give us time ... if they continue, we'll also take some action to claim what is ours". The Namibian government was criticised for treating Kazenambo with kid gloves and not reprimanding him after the outburst.

Kazenambo was responding to an article written by Poolman that Kazenambo spent N$1.7 million instead of the budgeted N$1 million to send 65 delegates to collect the skulls of some of the victims of the Herero and Namaqua Genocide of 1904–1907 from Germany.

During an interview in February 2012 with The Namibian journalist Tileni Mongudhi, Kazenambo allegedly made a racist attack against his fellow ministers, calling them "stupid Owambos", and said that Ovambo people "are just like the Boers, worse because you are hungry and stupid". The interview apparently started on a cordial note until Mongudhi asked if Kazenambo was proudly acting "more of a Herero than a national representative" in relation to the delegation he led to Germany to retrieve Herero remains. Kazenambo then accused Mongudhi of being part of an "Owambo conspiracy" and seized his voice recorder. The recorder was then sent to another country to get its contents professionally erased before being returned to Mongudhi's lawyer.

Private life
Kazenambo descended from a family affected by the Herero and Namaqua genocide and was lobbying for German reparation payments. He had three children. Kazenambo died from post-COVID-19 complications in August 2021.

08/12/2024

Johannes ǃGawaxab is a Namibian businessman who was appointed Governor of the Bank of Namibia, the country's central bank and national banking regulator, on 21 April 2020. He assumed his new office on 3 June 2020.

Background and education
ǃGawaxab attended local schools for his primary and secondary education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree obtained from the University of South Africa (UNISA), in 1989. His degree of Master of Business Leadership (MBL), was obtained from the UNISA as well in 1994. His third degree, a Master of Arts, was awarded by the Kingston Business School, in London, United Kingdom. He also has a postgraduate Certificate in Leadership from the London Business School. In 2007, he studied at Harvard Business School, in an Advanced Management Program.

Career
Early in his career, ǃGawaxab worked as an executive of Old Mutual. While there he rose to the level of CEO of Old Mutual Africa, serving in that capacity for nine years. In 2015, he took early retirement from Old Mutual and he started Eos Capital, a Namibian private equity firm with over N$500 million (US$30 million) and home to companies like Elso Cleaning, FabuPharm, NamBob, Erongo Medical Group and many others.

At the same time, he served on the boards of several parastatals and many private businesses, serving as the chairman, on the majority of them. The parastatals that he chaired included the Namibian Social Security Fund and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), the oil and gas company owned by the government of Namibia.

As Governor of the Bank of Namibia, ǃGawaxab replaced Ipumbu Shiimi, who was named the Finance Minister of Namibia.

In December 2021, Johannes !Gawaxab was reappointed to a new five year term as the Governor of the Bank of Namibia. His two deputies are Ebson Uanguta and Leonie Dunn.

08/12/2024

Abraham Iyambo (2 February 1961 – 2 February 2013) was a Namibian politician. Iyambo was a member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 1995, serving as Minister of Fisheries from 1997 to 2010 and Minister of Education from 2010 until his death. Iyambo was a member of both the central committee and political bureau of the SWAPO Party and the chairperson of its think tank.

Education
Iyambo was born at Oniimwandi on 2 February 1961 in the Oshana Region of northern Namibia, as the fourth of ten children of Helena Gabriel and Agapitus Iyambo. He attended Okata Primary School at his birth village and Canisianum Roman Catholic Private School at Outapi for secondary education. He then went into exile and studied Food Chemistry for four years (1982–1985) in Havana, Cuba. In 1985, he left for the United Kingdom, where he took an access course in food studies at South London College. Upon completing the access course, he began studying towards his BSc in ⠀⠀Food Science⠀⠀ from ⠀⠀the University of Surrey⠀⠀and graduated in 1990. From 1991 to 1994, he continued at Surrey, studying towards a PhD, which he received in 1994.

Career
In 1994, Iyambo worked as a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the work of the Ministry of Agriculture.[3] He also worked as a GTZ consultant for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and for the Ministry of Education.

In 1997 he was promoted to Minister by President Sam Nujoma, a position he held for 12 years until March 2010. In March 2010 he was appointed Minister of Education by President Hifikepunye Pohamba.

Iyambo was Namibia's commissioner-general for Expo 1998 held in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the chairman of SADC ministers responsible for fisheries from 1997 to 1999. Iyambo was a member of the International Task Force responsible for the fight of global Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU). In 2001, he was co-chairperson for the Reykjavik Declaration of the Ecosystem Fisheries Management.

Death and legacy
Iyambo had health problems related to high blood pressure for some years. He died from a stroke on his 52nd birthday while on business travel in London, United Kingdom, on 2 February 2013. He received a state burial where a 17-gunsalute was fired. Iyambo is interred at Windhoek's Gammams Cemetery.

Abraham Iyambo received several awards for his work, among them the Aquaculturist of the Year 2009, awarded by the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa, the Margarita Lizárraga Medal for 2008/2009, awarded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Kungsfenan Swedish Seafood Award.

In Namibia, he was known for being a workaholic and a highly effective government minister, independent of what his current portfolio was. His time at the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources earned him the nickname "Dr. Fish" in honourable recognition of his many achievements. During his tenure at the Ministry of Education, Iyambo implemented free primary education, a right enshrined in Namibia's constitution since 1990. He also introduced pre-primary education at state schools. His request to "deliver, deliver, and deliver" became a popular slogan for educators and learners alike. One year after his death government renamed Oshikunde Senior Secondary School in the Ohangwena Region into Dr Abraham Iyambo Senior Secondary School. He is also named after a primary school in Windhoek's Moses Garoeb Constituency, Dr Abraham Iyambo Primary School.

08/12/2024

Fransisco Aupa Indongo (born January 15 1936), is a Namibian businessman and former politician. He owns Continental Enterprises, Indongo Toyota, Frans Indongo Gardens, Farm Gelukwater, Select Service and Gas Station, Etango Complex in Oshakati, Bokomo Namibia and various shares in mining and fishing companies in Namibia. He is the father-in-law of lawyer Sisa Namandje and banker Wosman Hamukonda. He is third on the list of Namibia's top ten richest people, behind the Pupkewitz and Olthaver & List families.

Business career
Indongo opened his first business, which made bricks, in the late 1950s. With the profits from that business, he bought sewing equipment for cloth making, which he sold in Oranjemund. In 1961, he opened a small shop in Omusimboti, Oshana which eventually allowed him to open a chain of supermarkets across the country. Indongo owns a large number of properties across Namibia, including locations in Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Walvis Bay, Otjiwarongo and Windhoek as well as holdings in the Marathon sugar and fishing industries.

Political career
Indongo entered politics in the 1970s as a leading member of the National Democratic Party, which became part of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance following the completion of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference in 1977. At the Turnhalle Conference, Indongo was an important member of the Ovamboland delegation. He was Minister of Economic Affairs in the Owambo legislative assembly from 1975 and from 1980 a Minister in the Owambo Second Tier Representative Authority. In 1982, he was a founding member of the Christian Democratic Action for Social Justice, led by Peter Kalangula. He resigned from politics in the late 1980s to manage his business affairs.

08/12/2024

"You can see the people in Erongo are still very angry..."

Says former prime minister Nahas Angula in his post-election analysis

08/12/2024

They have arrived in the village. 🤣🤣🤣

07/12/2024

Omalaeti O'Swapo was the only album released by the Namibian political kwaito group Omalaeti O'Swapo (meaning: Swapo juniors).

The group included four musicians – Pablo, The Dogg, Gazza and Elvo – who were among the most popular musicians in Namibia at the time of the group's formation. However, the group was actually formed by the SWAPO party. Elvo handled the production duties, and John Walenga handled management and promotion under the supervision of SWAPO.

The album sold well, especially among SWAPO veterans and supporters, but was not critically successful due to its political influence. After the release of the album, each member went back to their respective solo careers, rarely speaking about Omalaeti O'Swapo.

Political background
The album's objective was to promote Namibian's 2004 presidential elections. President Hifikepunye Pohamba was the SWAPO presidential candidate after former President Sam Nujoma stepped down. Omalaeti O'Swapo used the album to encourage young people and the Namibian nation at large to take part in the election.

The album's first track, "Presidential Call", is a remake of Gazza's song "Shidolodolo". It features an encouraging speech from both presidents.

Establishment of Omalaeti Music
After the release and success of the album, its executive John Walenga established a music company, Omalaeti Music. Today, this is one of Namibia's biggest labels and was home to successful selling artists such as Tate But, PDK and DJ Kboz.

07/12/2024

The Terminator vs Ninja

06/12/2024

What is going on here???

06/12/2024

Benhard Benhard and Erastus Fillemon both knocked down each other in round 3of4

06/12/2024

Josef Ampweya vs Filippus Amwaama

06/12/2024

TIMAS ISHIDIMBWA VS ERASTUS SHAPAKA taking place now

06/12/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJe2TnzLfrI

MTC SALUTE BOXING ACADEMY PRESENTS - NINJA HARRY AGAINST CRIME BOXING BONANZA

06/12/2024

Sisa Namandje (born 1972) is a Namibian lawyer prominent for representing high profile Namibian figures. He has represented all three Namibian presidents Sam Nujoma, Hifikepunye Pohamba and Hage Geingob.

Early life and education
Namandje was born on 15 December 1972 at Onyaanya in the Oshikoto Region of northern Namibia. He spent his primary school years in northern Namibia before the family moved to Zambian exile, where he attended school at SWAPO's health education centre in Nyango. After Namibian independence he returned to Onyaanya and attended Uukule Senior Secondary School. He graduated 1994 at the age of 21.

In 1995 Namandje moved to Windhoek and worked at Windhoek Central Prison. A year later he quit and began his law studies at the University of Namibia. He graduated in 2000 with B.Juris and LLB degrees and joined the Namibian Defence Force where he rose to lieutenant colonel. In 2001 he served his articles as a candidate attorney at Nate Ndauendapo & Associates.

Legal career
Namandje rose to prominence between 2003 - 2005 during the trials of high profile public figures cases such as that of Jack Huang. In 2012, he was appointed Chief Electoral officer at the SWAPO Party electoral conference, a position he was re-appointed to in 2017. His law firm, Namandje Incorporated, has produced more than 50 Namibian lawyers since its inception.

In May 2020, he was involved in a legal battle with the Law Society of Namibia over his trust accounts.

Public image
Namandje is implicated as a central actor involved in the Fishrot Files corruption scandal. Namandje is accused of using his law firm’s trust account to launder money for several people, including prominent politicians implicated in the Fishrot scandal. Al Jazeera’s investigation Anatomy of a Bribe identified transfers worth $17.5 million Namibian dollars ($1.5m), which was paid from Fishcor to Namandje’s law firm’s accounts. According to an investigator from Namibia’s Anti-Corruption Commission, this money was then paid into accounts linked to the SWAPO party. Namandje later recruited the daughter of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Paulus Noa – the man who investigated him over the laundering of N$23 million which was allegedly stolen from the government. Namandje admitted to disbursing funds on behalf of the ruling Swapo party to various entities and individuals such as payments to Arma Amukiyu in the amount of N$ 5,2 million, and N$ 1,4 million to Lemon Tree ( a company whose beneficial owner is the wife of the late Pres Geingob, Monica Geingos.

Namandje first rose to prominence in the Namibia legal system in 2007 when he represented two Chinese nationals who were accused of smuggling ivory out of Namibia. Since then, he was the first Namibian to appear on Masters of Success on MTC Namibia which discusses the success of prominent African people. Additionally, he has represented politicians SWAPO Party Youth League secretary and president Paulus Kapia in his corruption trial. In 2019, he represented Namibian education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa in her trial after she was accused of using her office as governor of Hardap Region to award houses to her relatives.

In 2014, it was reported that three people in Outapi had been scammed by individuals who claimed to be, or to represent the name of, Sisa Namandje. In a statement issued by his legal firm, Namandje warned against individuals using his name for personal gain and that if found such individuals would be prosecuted.

Namandje has expressed the need for changes in the Namibian judicial system. Saying at a Masters of Success event in 2015 that if given a chance, he would represent land activist Job Amupanda as he believed there was a need to protect the interests of poor Namibians.

Personal life
Sisa is the first of 12 children of Simon and Ruusa Namandje. He is married to Lovisa Namandje with whom he has two children. He lives in Windhoek.

06/12/2024

Ben Ulenga (born Benjamin Crispus Ulenga on June 22, 1952) is a Namibian trade unionist, politician, and diplomat. In the 1990s, he served under the SWAPO government as a deputy minister and as an ambassador, but he left SWAPO in 1998 and founded an opposition party, the Congress of Democrats (CoD), in 1999. He was a member of the National Assembly of Namibia from 2000 to 2015 and led the CoD until 2015.

Life and career
Ulenga, born in Ontanga, Oshana Region, played an influential role in the independence struggle of Namibia against South African apartheid rule. He joined the People's Liberation Army of Namibia in 1974 but was later captured after being wounded in combat and sentenced to 15 years in prison, which he spent on Robben Island. He was released in 1985. At that time he met Rosa Namises. They had two children together before separating in 1988.

Ulenga founded the Mineworkers Union of Namibia in 1986. Immediately prior to independence, he was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990. After independence, he was a SWAPO member of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1996, and he was deputy Minister of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism from 1991 to 1995 before becoming deputy Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing in 1995. He was later appointed as Namibia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, but in August 1998 he resigned from that post to protest plans to amend the constitution so that president Sam Nujoma could run for a third term; in addition, he expressed dissatisfaction with Namibia's military presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during that country's civil war. He initially said that he would remain a member of SWAPO, but he subsequently left SWAPO and founded the opposition Congress of Democrats (CoD) in March 1999. He was the CoD candidate in the 1999 presidential election, placing second behind Nujoma and receiving 10.5% of the vote. He was also elected to the National Assembly as a CoD candidate in the 1999 parliamentary election.

At a CoD congress, Ulenga was re-elected as president of the CoD on August 1, 2004; he was also chosen as the party's candidate for the November 2004 presidential election. In this election, he placed second with 7.28% of the vote, far behind SWAPO candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba. In the concurrent 2004 parliamentary election, he was re-elected to the National Assembly.

At an extraordinary party congress held in Keetmanshoop in May 2008, Ulenga was re-elected as CoD president; he defeated Ignatius Shixwameni by 14 votes, and Shixwameni, rejecting the outcome, left the congress in protest along with about half of the delegates. Shixwameni alleged rigging and claimed that his CoD faction represented the majority of the party; his faction went to the High Court to press these claims. In July 2008, the High Court ruled in favor of the Shixwameni faction, nullifying the May 2007 congress. Ulenga accepted the decision.

In the 2009 general election, Ulenga's support dropped significantly and he received 5,812 votes (0.72%), which placed him in 9th place out of 12 candidates for president. This represented more than 50,000 fewer votes than he had received when he finished second to Pohamba in the 2004 campaign. Similarly, the CoD lost four of five members of the National Assembly. Ulenga, however, was re-elected. Ulenga rejoined SWAPO in 2017.

05/12/2024

Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila (born 12 October 1967) is a Namibian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Namibia since 2015. She is a member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) and has been a member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 1995. She served as Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2015. She is the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Namibia.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila holds an Hon. Doctorate in Public Finance and an MSC in Financial Economics. She was an Economist at, the Office of the President in 1995 and Director General of the National Planning Commission from 1995 to 2003.

Early life and education
Saara Kuugongelwa was born on 12 October 1967 in Otamanzi, South West Africa (present-day Namibia). She went into exile with SWAPO in 1980 at the age of 13 and left for Sierra Leone in 1982 at the age of 15. She attended Koidu Girls Secondary School from 1982 to 1984 and Saint Joseph's Secondary School from 1984 to 1987. From 1991 to 1994, she attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, United States, where she graduated with an MSc in financial economics.

Political career
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila returned to Namibia following her graduation from Lincoln University and took a position as an economist in the Office of the President under Sam Nujoma. In 1995, after only a few months in the job, Nujoma appointed her to parliament at the age of 27 and made her director general of the National Planning Commission, a position in the rank of a minister. In 2003 Nujoma promoted her to Minister of Finance.

Alongside President Hage Geingob, she was sworn in as the 4th Prime Minister of Namibia on 21 March 2015. She is the first woman to hold the position.

In May 2016, she took part in "A Conversation with The Right Honourable Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Prime Minister of the Republic of Namibia," a moderated discussion with Wilson Center's Women in Public Service Project, the Wilson Center Africa Program, and the Constituency for Africa. She has spoken about gender equality on numerous occasions, including during Malian Prime Minister Modibo Keita's visit and in a speech (read by Christine Hoebes on her behalf) at the 10th Namibian Women's Summit where she stated that it would take 70 years to close the gender pay gap across Africa.

Personal life
Kuugongelwa is married to businessman Onesmus Tobias Amadhila.

05/12/2024

Lazarus Kandara

The key figure in a long-running Namibian fraud trial, Lazarus Kandara, has shot himself while under police supervision, the authorities say.
Namibian human rights activists have demanded an independent investigation.

In court hearings over the alleged $4.5m (£2.5m) fraud, Mr Kandara said payments had been made through his company to ruling Swapo party members.

The BBC's Frauke Jensen says the fraud allegations have shocked Namibians, who want the new president to take action.

Hifikepunye Pohamba, 69, assumed office in March and has promised to tackle corruption.

Mr Pohamba has accepted the resignation of Deputy Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Paulus Kapia who was implicated in the fraud trial.

He is a former board member of Mr Kandara's Avid investment company. However, a government statement gave no reason for his departure.

Admission

Our correspondent says that Mr Kandara had admitted using his company to defraud the Social Security Commission of money intended to pay medical and other benefits to the poor.

He also admitted to spending some $46,000 on himself.

After testifying in court, he was taken to his home to pick up his belongings and speak to his lawyer.

On his return to the police station, where he was about to be remanded in custody, he pulled out a gun from under a blanket he had collected from home and shot himself through the chest, Police Inspector Hieronymus Goreseb told the BBC.

He would not comment on how Mr Kandara got hold of the gun while under police supervision.

The National Human Rights Society (NSHR), however, is not convinced.

"It is very difficult to turn a pistol against yourself aiming at your heart surrounded by police", NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh told the AFP news agency.

"We suspect he was shot by the police."

05/12/2024

John ya Otto Nankudhu (1933–2011, nom de guerre: Koshiwanda, the surname is sometimes also spelled Nankugu) was a Namibian guerrilla, army officer and politician. He was the commander of the forces of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) at Omugulugwombashe when the armed struggle for independence began there on 26 August 1966 and was later jailed for 17 years at Robben Island. He is a National Hero of Namibia for his contributions to the independence of the country.

Early life and exile
Nankudhu was born on 24 June 1933 at Oluhapa in northern Namibia. He joined the Ovamboland People's Congress, the predecessor of SWAPO, in 1958, shortly after its foundation. He quickly ascended to become its chairman for Oranjemund. In 1960 he went into exile. He received military training in Egypt until 1963 and thereafter joined a military academy in the USSR where he completed training in 1964.

Nankudhu returned to Africa in 1964 and, already in the rank of a commander of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), started a military training camp in Kongwa, Tanzania. In 1966 he moved into Namibia as one of the first six guerrillas to mobilise and train people for armed resistance. Under his leadership a reconnaissance camp near Ongandjera was established in January, and a training camp at Omugulugwombashe in June.

Battle at Omugulugwombashe
In 1966 the UN General Assembly revoked South Africa's mandate to govern South West African territory and placed it under direct UN administration. South Africa refused to recognize this resolution. The group under Nankudhu had just started to build defensive structures and planned to train about 90 soldiers at Omugulugwombashe.

On 26 August 1966, eight helicopters of the South African Defence Force attacked the PLAN guerrilla fighters, only 17 of which were in the camp at the time of attack. It was the first armed battle in the Namibian War of Independence. In commemoration of the day, 26 August is a public holiday in Namibia. It is recognized by the UN as Namibia Day but Namibians refer to it as Heroes' Day.

John ya Otto Nankudhu was only arrested in December. The South Africans detained him in Pretoria, tortured him, and placed him in solitary confinement. He occupied the cell Walter Sisulu was held in before. In 1968 he was sentenced to death under the Terrorism Act. Following international pressure the sentence was converted to life in prison at Robben Island. He was released in December 1985.

After Namibian independence
After independence, Nankudhu served as regional councillor for Windhoek's Wanaheda constituency (now Samora Machel constituency) from 1999 to 2010. He also was the chairman of the Central Region of the Swapo Party and a member of the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs. On 26 August 2007 he received the honorary military rank of colonel.

John ya Otto Nankudhu was married to Jacobina. They had five children. Nankudhu died on 21 June 2011, reportedly a poor man. Shortly after Nandudhu's death, President Hifikepunye Pohamba conferred the status of National Hero upon him and directed that a state burial be held. Nankudhu was buried at Namibia's Heroes' Acre near Windhoek on 2 July 2011. He is also commemorated at Omugulugwombashe, where a statue of six soldiers engaged in planning a military action depicts Nankudhu and his subordinates.