Nahas Gideon Angula (born 22 August 1943[1][2]) is the current Prime Minister of Namibia. He entered into office on March 21, 2005, when his appointment was announced by new president Hifikepunye Pohamba during the latter's inauguration.[3] Angula received a master's degree in education from Columbia University.[4]
Nahas Gideon Angula | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prime Minister of Namibia | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2005 | |
| President | Hifikepunye Pohamba |
| Preceded by | Theo-Ben Gurirab |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 August 1943 Onyaanya, South-West Africa (now Namibia) |
| Political party | Southwest African People's Organisation |
| Spouse | Katrina Tangeni Namalenga |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Zambia Columbia University University of Manchester |
Angula was born in Onyaanya, Oshikoto Region. He was in exile from Namibia from 1965 to 1989, and during this time he worked for Radio Zambia from 1973 to 1976 and for the United Nations as a civil servant from 1976 to 1980 before becoming a SWAPO organizer in 1980. He was in charge of SWAPO voter registration in 1989.[1] Immediately prior to independence, Angula was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990.[5] He has been a member of the National Assembly since 1990, and he was Minister of Education, Sport, and Culture from 1990 to 1995 and Minister of Higher Education from 1995[1][2] until 2005.
Angula received the highest number of votes, 395 (tied with Jerry Ekandjo), in the election to the Central Committee of SWAPO at the party's August 2002 congress.[6] He was one of three candidates who sought SWAPO's nomination as its presidential candidate in May 2004.[7] He placed third in the first round, receiving 137 votes, while Pohamba received 213 and Hidipo Hamutenya received 166, and he was therefore excluded from the second round. Those who supported Angula backed Pohamba almost without exception in the second round of voting, and Pohamba was victorious.[8] He is a member of the Lutheran church, as has been his family for generations.[9]
References
- ^ a b c Profile on Namibian parliament website.
- ^ a b Biographies of Namibian Personalities, klausdierks.com.
- ^ "Namibia's new president takes office", AFP (IOL), March 22, 2005.
- ^ [1]
- ^ List of members of the Constituent Assembly, parliament.gov.na.
- ^ "The ruling party's new Central Committee", The Namibian, August 27, 2002.
- ^ "Meet the men who are vying for Nujoma's job", Reuters (IOL), May 28, 2004.
- ^ Petros Kuteeue, "Pohamba the winner", The Namibian, May 31, 2004.
- ^ http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FMOA%2FMOA42_04%2FS0022278X04000552a.pdf&code=db46a1072b5ed5c5e051a6bcc1b17fc3