Sam Nujoma, the fiery, white-bearded freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, coming to be known as the father of his nation, has died. He was 95.
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Nujoma’s death was announced on Sunday by current Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba, who said Nujoma died on Saturday night after being hospitalised in the capital, Windhoek.
“The foundations of the Republic of Namibia have been shaken,” Mbumba said in a statement. “Over the past three weeks, the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia and Founding Father of the Namibian Nation was hospitalised for medical treatment and medical observation due to ill health.”
“Unfortunately, this time, the most gallant son of our land could not recover from his illness,” Mbumba added. He said Nujoma “marshalled the Namibian people during the darkest hours of our liberation struggle.”
Nujoma was the last of a generation of African leaders who brought their countries out of colonial or white minority rule that included South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere and Mozambique’s Samora Machel.
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Nujoma built ties with China, North Korea, Cuba and Russia, some of which had supported Namibia’s liberation movement by providing arms and training.