Namibia - Head of Government

HE Mr Hifikepunye Pohamba was sworn in as the second President of the Republic of Namibia on 21 March 2005.

Between 1996 and 2005, he served as Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources; Minister without Portfolio; and Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation.

In 2002, Mr Pohamba was Vice-President of the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) after serving as its Secretary-General since 1997.

Following Independence in March 1990, he served as Minister of Home Affairs.

In 1989 Mr Pohamba was Head of Administration in the SWAPO Directorate of Elections in Windhoek, and became a member of the Constituent Assembly in November that year where he participated in the drafting of the Namibia Constitution.

In 1978 Mr Pohamba was made Secretary of Finance after becoming a member of the SWAPO’s Political Bureau. He was SWAPO’s Chief Representative in East Africa from 1973 to 1977, based in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania. He held the post of Deputy Administrative Secretary in 1970. From 1964 to 1969, Mr Pohamba was SWAPO’s Deputy Chief Representative for Central and North Africa, based in Algiers, Algeria. He co-founded SWAPO in 1960.

Mr Pohamba has a Diploma from the International School of Political Science in Moscow, Russia.

He was born on 18 August 1935 in Okanghudhi-Pohamba Village, Ondobe Constituency, Namibia.