Sam Nujoma, former railway worker who was president of Namibia for 15 years after leading the struggle for the independence of the nation rich in diamonds, died. He was 95 years old.
Nujoma died on Saturday in the Windhoek capital after being hospitalized for three weeks due to health problems, President Nangolo Mbumba said in a statement.
The popular organization of Southwestern Africa of Nujoma, or Swapo, fought a 23 -year war against the South African government that ended in 1989, When the then state of apartheid agreed to gradually remove his occupation troops. The swot razed the 1990 elections, taking Nujoma to power.
“Our founding father lived a long and transcendental life during which he exceptionally served the people of his beloved country”Said Mbumba. “Heroically led the Namibian people during the darkest hours of our struggle for liberation until reaching freedom and independence.”
Nujoma completed three five -year mandates, one more than the founding constitution, And the Swapo argued that its first mandate should not be computed for the limit, since it was chosen directly for its position. Hifikepunye Pohamba happened to Nujoma as president in 2005 and as a leader of the swothar more than two years later.
Subsistence farmers
Son of subsistence farmers, Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma was born on May 12, 1929 in the village of Etunda, in the northwest of Namibia, and as a young man helped to shepherd family cattle. After finishing primary school, He went to live with an aunt in the coastal city of Walvis Bay in 1946 and began working in a store the following year.
Nujoma moved to Windhoek in 1949 and accepted a job on South African railways, while completing his studies, first attending night classes and then by correspondence.
He entered the full -time policy in 1957 and helped found the swopo three years later with the aim of ending the occupation of neighboring South Africa, which had taken control of the territory to colonial power, Germany, in 1915. The domain of South Africa on what was known as Africa del Southwest was legalized in 1920 by a mandate in the League of Nations, but was revoked by the United Nations in 1966.
Nujoma was arrested for a week in 1959 after helping to organize resistance against forced segregation in Windhoek, which culminated in the death of 12 protesters. He fled from the country to Tanzania before being tried.
Armed campaign
In exile, Nujoma mobilized international support for the independence of Namibia and He helped to get weapons from Algeria that were used to start the armed campaign of the Swapo in 1966.
In 1976, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution that recognized Swapo as the unique and authentic representative of the Namibio people. Two years later, the UN adopted resolution 435, which demanded the withdrawal of South Africa.
The Blanca minority regime challenged the resolution and armed conflict lasted until a ceasefire in April 1989. Nujoma returned from exile five months later to lead the Swapo to victory in the UN elections.
Blanca’s father swore as the first president of Namibia in March 1990 before the then UN Secretary, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar. The ceremony was attended by Nelson Mandela, who had left a 27 -year prison the previous month and would become the first black president of South Africa.
Cured cracks
The administration of Nujoma helped heal racial divisions after decades of segregationist regime and increased access to health, education and government services. Today, more than 90% of the adult population knows how to read and write and more than 90% of households have access to drinking water.
His government was less successful when laying the foundations for an economy that created jobs or reducing the gap between rich and poor, with income disparities among the highest in the world.
After leaving office, Nujoma created a charity foundation that bears his name and remained away from conventional policy. In 2007, the Swapo granted him the title of leader of the Namibia Revolution and granted him the status of permanent member of the party, which allowed him to attend the meetings of his higher structures. In 2015, he and Pohamba created a committee to advise the acting presidents.
Nujoma married Kavambo Katjimune in 1956. They had five children.
