Josef Kauandenge (born 7 October 1974 in Windhoek) [1] is Namibian politician, musician and legislator in the Parliament of Namibia as member of the National Assembly. He is currently serving as secretary general of National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO). [2]
Kauandenge obtained a B-Juris degree from University of South Africa, a diploma in political concepts form University of Napoli Federico II, a diploma in paralegal study from University of Cape Town and a diploma in public relations practice from PRiSA. [1]
Before joining politics, Kauandenge served as managing director of the Extra Mile Printing Works. He was a public relation manager at Country Club Hotel. In his political career he formed a political party known as Namibia Movement for Independent Candidates (NMIC) between 1997 and 1998. [3] In 2003-2004 he served as a secretary general of NUDO and as Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) Youth League secretary general from 1998 to 2003. In 2007 he briefly served as secretary general for Namibia Democratic Movement for Change (NDMC). In 2015-2019 Kauandenge was elected as councilor of City of Windhoek. Currently he is serving as member of parliament from 2020 to 2025. [1] [2] [3]
Kauandenge is also an oviritje musician with the stage name Jossie Kauadenge. His music career rose to another level in 2005 when he released the first albulm titled Mbakotoka (Otjiherero : I am back). He retired from music industry in 2019 to focus on politics. [3] [4] [5]
Kauandenge is married to Meisie Henguva Kauandenge, among his children includes Pena Kauandenge and Mbemuundja Kauandenge. [4]
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek, which was 486,169 in 2023, is constantly growing due to a continued migration from other regions in Namibia.
Omaheke is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, the least populous region. Its capital is Gobabis. It lies in eastern Namibia on the border with Botswana and is the western extension of the Kalahari Desert. The self-governed villages of Otjinene, Leonardville and Witvlei are situated in the region. As of 2020, Omaheke had 48,594 registered voters.
Gobabis is a town in eastern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Omaheke Region, and the district capital of the Gobabis electoral constituency. Gobabis is situated 200 km (120 mi) down the B6 motorway from Windhoek to Botswana. The town is 113 km (70 mi) from the Buitepos border post with Botswana, and serves as an important link to South Africa on the tarred Trans-Kalahari Highway. Gobabis is in the heart of the cattle farming area. In fact Gobabis is so proud of its cattle farming that a statue of a large Brahman bull with the inscription "Cattle Country" greets visitors to the town. Gobabis also has its own local airport.
Hidipo Livius Hamutenya was a Namibian politician. Veteran politician Hidipo Hamutenya died at 77 after a short illness. A long-time leading member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Hamutenya was a member of the Cabinet of Namibia from independence in 1990 to 2004, serving in several important ministerial portfolios. He was defeated in a bid for the party's presidential nomination in 2004 and left SWAPO to form an opposition group, the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), in 2007. He was elected to the National Assembly of Namibia with RDP in the 2009 general election. He was forced to step down as RDP president on 28 February 2015 and rejoined SWAPO on 28 August 2015.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) is an amalgamation of political parties in Namibia, registered as one singular party for representation purposes. In coalition with the United Democratic Front, it formed the official opposition in Parliament until the parliamentary elections in 2009. The party currently holds 16 seats in the Namibian National Assembly and one seat in the Namibian National Council and is the official opposition. McHenry Venaani is president of the PDM.
The National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) is a political party in Namibia. It has been represented in the National Assembly of Namibia and in the National Council of Namibia since it split from the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance prior to the 2004 general and local elections. The party's president is Esther Muinjangue.
Hage Gottfried Geingob was a Namibian politician who served as the third president of Namibia and Commander-in-Chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) from 2015 until his death in February 2024. Geingob was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served as prime minister again from 2012 to 2015. Between 2008 and 2012 Geingob served as Minister of Trade and Industry. In November 2014, Geingob was elected president of Namibia by an overwhelming margin. In November 2017, Geingob became the third president of the ruling SWAPO Party after winning by a large margin at the party's sixth Congress. He served as the party's president until his death. In August 2018, Geingob began a one-year term as chairperson of the Southern African Development Community.
The National Council is the upper chamber of Namibia's bicameral Parliament. It reviews bills passed by the lower chamber and makes recommendations for legislation of regional concern to the lower chamber.
Kuaima Isaac Riruako was a Namibian politician and the paramount chief of the Herero people. He served as a National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) representative in Parliament, and he was the President of NUDO and its presidential candidate in the 2004 presidential election, placing fourth with 4.23% of the national vote.
Fanuel Jariretundu Kozonguizi was a Namibian lawyer and politician. He served as permanent petitioner to the United Nations on the issue of Namibian independence, and was a high-ranking administrator in South-West Africa prior to Namibian independence, both under South African administration and in the Transitional Government. In independent Namibia he was a member of Parliament and ombudsman. Kozonguizi was a founding member and first president of the South West African National Union.
Clemens Kapuuo was a Namibian school teacher, shopkeeper, president of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), now called Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), and chief of the Herero people of Namibia. Kapuuo was one of the leading opponents of South African rule of his country until his assassination following the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference.
McHenry Venaani is a Namibian politician and the president of the Popular Democratic Movement, a party with sixteen seats in the National Assembly of Namibia and one seat in the National Council of Namibia. Venaani is currently contesting for a presidential race which is set to take place on the 27th November 2024. Venaani has been a member of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2010, in 2014, and since 2015. At the time of his appointment in 2002, he was Namibia's youngest MP. He is one of the three candidates standing for election as Paramount Chief of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority in January 2023, competing against Hoze Riruako and Mike Kavekotora.
Elma Jane Dienda is a Namibian politician and teacher. Currently a member Democratic Turnhalle Alliance which she joined four years after she resigned from the CoD, Dienda was a member of the National Assembly of Namibia from taking the CoD's final spot in 2004 until the CoD did not receive enough votes for her re-election in 2009. She is of South African and Malawian descent.
The Namibia Democratic Movement for Change (NDMC) was a Namibian political party. It was founded in October 2003 under the umbrella of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance but left it prior to the 2004 parliamentary election due to an internal power struggle. The party "targeted the rural population in eastern Namibia, but [...] with little success." It contested the 2004 and 2009 parliamentary elections but each time failed to gain a seat in Parliament.
Margaret Natalie Mensah-Williams is a Namibian politician, diplomat, and prominent SWAPO member. She currently serves as Namibia's ambassador to the United States.
Mburumba Kerina was a Namibian politician and academic. He was a co-founder of SWAPO, NUDO, and FCN, and the founder of a host of smaller political parties. For independent Namibia, he was a member of Namibia's Constituent Assembly, as well as the National Assembly and the National Council. Kerina coined the name "Namib" for the independent state "Namibia" on the territory of South West Africa.
Job Shipululo Amupanda is a Namibian activist, associate professor, and politician who served as Mayor of the City of Windhoek, in office from 2 December 2020 to 1 December 2021. He was an Associate Professor at the University of Namibia before he co-founded the Affirmative Repositioning movement, a movement set up by radical youth activists of the SWAPO Party Youth League in November 2014.
Bernadus Clinton Swartbooi was born on 11 October 1977 in Tses, a village in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia. He is a Namibian politician.
Dimbulukeni 'Dee' Nauyoma is a Namibian youth activist who along with Job Amupanda and George Kambala co-founded a radical youth movement known as the Affirmative Repositioning in November 2014. Prior to the formation of the Affirmative Repositioning, he served in the SWAPO Youth League until 2014. From 2015 to 2018, he served as Secretary General of the Namibia National Students Organisation.