Sophia Shaningwa (born 13 May 1959 in Outapi) [1] is a Namibian politician, currently serving as secretary general of the SWAPO party.
Shaningwa left Namibia for exile in May 1980 and underwent military training as a People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) combatant. She studied at Ivanova Teachers Training College in the Soviet Union. [2]
Shaningwa was appointed governor of Khomas Region in 2004. [2] She later served as Governor of Omusati Region. [3] In 2014, she was elected to the National Assembly. [4] She had previously worked at the National Housing Enterprise and served as Windhoek West councillor. [4]
Shaningwa served as Minister for Urban and Rural Development from 21 March 2015 to February 2018 in president Hage Geingob's administration. [5] During that time her ministry was awarded a cheque by Samlam to eliminate the bucket toilet system, because sanitation and hygiene is believed to be a major challenge in the rural areas. [6] In 2017 Shaningwa was elected secretary general of SWAPO. [1] Shaningwa retained this position in 2022, defeating Oshikoto SWAPO Regional Coordinator Armas Amukwiyu. [7]
Shaningwa was conferred the Most Distinguished Order of Namibia: First Class on Heroes' Day 2014. [8]
Politics of Namibia takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Namibia is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by both the president and the government. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The South West Africa People's Organisation, officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia. Founded in 1960, it has been the governing party in Namibia since the country achieved independence in 1990. The party continues to be dominated in number and influence by the Ovambo ethnic group.
Theo-Ben Gurirab was a Namibian politician who served in various senior government positions. He served as the second prime minister of Namibia from 28 August 2002 to 20 March 2005, following the demotion and subsequent resignation of Hage Geingob. Previously he was the country's first Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 2002 and was President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1999 to 2000. He was Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia from 2005 to 2015, when he was replaced by Peter Katjavivi. Gurirab ultimately resigned from politics in 2015.
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.
Marco Mukoso Hausiku was a Namibian politician who was Deputy-Prime Minister of Namibia from 2010 to 2015.
Hage Gottfried Geingob was a Namibian politician who served as the third president of Namibia from 2015 until his death in February 2024. Geingob was the first prime minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served 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.
Jerry Lukiiko Ekandjo is a Namibian politician, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. He is one of the founding members of the SWAPO Youth League and has been one of the most active internal leading members of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) during the liberation struggle. He spent eight years in prison on Robben Island after being charged for inciting violence in 1973.
Pendukeni "Penny" Iivula-Ithana is a Namibian politician who served as the secretary general of SWAPO, Namibia's ruling party, from 2007 to 2012. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly of Namibia in 1989 and has been a member of Parliament and member of cabinet since independence in 1990.
Nangolo Mbumba is a Namibian politician who is the fourth president of Namibia. He became president after the death of Hage Geingob, under whom he had served as the second vice-president of Namibia from 2018 to 2024.
Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, nicknamed NNN, is a Namibian politician who became president-elect of Namibia after winning the presidential election on 3 December 2024. She is scheduled to be Namibia's fifth president and the first woman to hold this position. She is serving as the third vice-president of Namibia since February 2024. She was also SWAPO's first female presidential candidate for the 2024 Namibian general election. In 2017, Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected vice-president of SWAPO, the first woman to serve in that position.
Erastus Amutenya Uutoni is a Namibian SWAPO politician who has served in the cabinet of Namibia since March 2010.
Windhoek West Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It contains the affluent suburbs of Hochland Park, Pioneers Park, Academia, Cimbebasia, Rocky Crest, Windhoek North and Windhoek West. It had a population of 53,438 in 2011, up from 42,201 in 2001. As of 2020, it has 33,556 registered voters.
Moses Mague ǁGaroëb was a Namibian politician, founding member of SWAPO, and member of SWAPO's Politburo and Central Committee. During his political career, ǁGaroëb served in the Constituent Assembly of Namibia and was a Member of Parliament from the day of Namibian independence, 21 March 1990. He was appointed Minister of Labour and Human Resources in 1995, a position he held until his death.
The Augustineum Secondary School, established in 1866, is among the oldest schools in Namibia. Originally situated in Otjimbingwe, it was relocated to Okahandja in 1890, and finally to Windhoek in 1968. Previously also known as the Augustineum Training College and today the Augustineum Secondary School, it is a public school located in Khomasdal, a suburb of Windhoek.
Margaret Natalie Mensah-Williams is a Namibian politician, diplomat, and prominent SWAPO member. She currently serves as Namibia's ambassador to the United States.
Laura Veendapi McLeod-Katjirua is a Namibian politician who has been Governor of the Khomas Region since 2012 and Deputy Secretary General of SWAPO since 2012. Previously she was Governor of Omaheke Region from 2001 to 2012. She was transferred to Khomas Region by President Hifikepunye Pohamba after she was elected as Deputy Secretary General of SWAPO on December 2, 2012.
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.
Katrina Hanse-Himarwa was a Namibian politician. A member of the SWAPO party, she served as Minister of Education, Arts and Culture from 21 March 2015 to 9 July 2019, resigning a day after being convicted of corruption.
Bernadus Clinton Swartbooi is a Namibian politician.
Mukwanangombe Auguste Mukwahepo Immanuel affectionately known as Meekulu Mukwahepo, was a Namibian guerrilla, notable for being the first woman recruit of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia. Mukwahepo committed her life looking after children during the South African Border War, moving from one camp to another whenever the need arose.