Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah

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Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah
Personal details
Born (1952-12-13) 13 December 1952 (age 71)
Namibia
(then South-West Africa, South Africa)
Spouse Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Military service
AllegianceFlag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
Branch/service People's Liberation Army of Namibia
Namibian Army
Years of service1974–2013
Rank 15-Namibia Army-LG.svg Lieutenant General
CommandsChief of Defence Force
Battles/wars Namibian War of Independence

Lieutenant General Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah (born 13 December 1952) is a Namibian diplomat and military commander. He was the chief of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) from 24 January 2011 [1] to 31 December 2013. [2]

Contents

Born in Ohangwena Region, Ndaitwah joined SWAPO's military wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), in 1974 and participated in Namibia's struggle for independence in various positions. He attended military training in Russia, Yugoslavia, India, Nigeria, Zambia and Tanzania.

NDF career

At Namibia's independence in 1990, Ndaitwah became the first military assistant to the Chief of the Defence Force, Dimo Hamaambo. He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at that time. He became Deputy Commander of the Army in 1997. Until 2006 Ndaitwah served as Chargé d’affaires of Namibia to the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was promoted to Major General in 2008 and appointed as Chief of Operations, Plans and Training, and to Lieutenant General in 2011 at the occasion of his appointment as Chief of the Namibian Defence Force, succeeding Martin Shalli. [1] He served in that position until the end of 2013 when John Mutwa was appointed new Chief of the NDF. [2]

In 2007, Ndaitwah graduated with a master's degree in Strategic Studies from University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is currently a student of Public Management at the Polytechnic of Namibia. [1]

He is married to Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia's former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and now serving as Namibia's 3rd Vice President. [3] [4]

Ndaitwah worked at International University of Management for five years as a senior lecturer and the head of Strategic Management and Business Administration faculty before becoming a member of the governing council for four years which amounted to a total of 9 years. [5]

Literal work

Ndaitwah authored two books titled 'A life and Views of a Soldier: Author's Perspective' and 'Strategic Leadership and Management the Direction Pointers'. [6] [7] Over his career he also he wrote over forty (40) articles to Namibian newspapers and authored one journal article published in the African Armed Forces.

Medals and awards

Military offices
Preceded by Chief of the Defence Force (Namibia)
2011 2013
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Unknown
Chief of Staff Operations
2008  2011
Succeeded by
Shaanika Amukwaya
Preceded by
unknown
Deputy Commander Namibian Army
1997  2006
Succeeded by
Unknown

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Ndjebela, Toivo (25 January 2011). "NDF hails new chief". New Era . Archived from the original on 11 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 Muraranganda, Elvis (3 January 2014). "'Top Three' absent at Mutwa's NDF inauguration". Namibian Sun . p. 1. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  3. "Who's Who, entry for Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah". Namibia Institute for Democracy. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  4. Nandi-Ndaitwah, Netumbo (2024-04-19). "Vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at Swapo's 64th anniversary". The Namibian. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  5. "Ndaitwah drops IUM". Truth, for its own sake. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  6. Hilukilwa, Placido (2022-02-27). "General Ndaitwah donates books to Swapo". Informanté. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  7. "UNAM to celebrate International Archives Day with an Exhibition | Namibia Economist" . Retrieved 2024-05-17.