Also known as: former President Hifikepunye Pohamba · former president Pohamba · President Pohamba · former President Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba · Dr Hifikepunye Pohamba · President Hifikepunye Pohamba · Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba · Second President Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba · our second president, Hifikepunye Pohamba
Former President of Namibia; called for road safety interventions following long-weekend accidents in 2026.
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The Namibian
Pohamba said late founding president Sam Nujoma was seriously ill and unable to talk during their last interaction.
“Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba said late founding president Sam Nujoma was seriously ill and unable to talk during their last interaction.”
Nujoma was ‘seriously ill’ – PohambaThe Namibian
Pohamba visited Nujoma in the hospital in January this year.
“According to Pohamba, he visited Nujoma in the hospital in January this year when he was informed that the liberation struggle icon had been hospitalised.”
Nujoma was ‘seriously ill’ – PohambaThe Namibian
Hifikepunye Pohamba returned to Namibia in 1966 with Sam Nujoma
“He recalled Nujoma's determination when presenting the case for Namibian independence to the United Nations, and his resolution to return to Namibia in 1966 with former president Hifikepunye Pohamba to prove their validity as representatives of the Namibian people.”
Muhuura pays tribute to late founding fatherThe Namibian
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba once said he doesn't want to lead a nation of drunkards
“Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba once said he doesn't want to lead a nation of drunkards.”
Towards Proper Healthcarein NamibiaThe Namibian
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba initiated mass housing project
“The Namibian government must revive the mass housing project initiated by former president Hifikepunye Pohamba.”
Bring Back Mass Housing ProjectsThe Namibian
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba told his Cabinet at a review meeting in 2006 that by failing to plan they would have planned to fail
“Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba told his Cabinet at a review meeting in 2006 that by failing to plan they would have planned to fail.”
Census Shows Govt Planned to FailThe Namibian
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba officially commissioned Erongo Desalination Plant in 2013
“Geingob said he last visited the EDP in 2013 when it was officially commissioned by former president Hifikepunye Pohamba.”
Geingob confident in green hydrogen preparednessThe Namibian
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba came out strongly against the BIG for unemployed Namibians and others to be made universal
“Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba, for example, came out strongly against the BIG for unemployed Namibians and others to be made universal in Namibia.”
Is Namibia a Failed State?The Namibian
former president Hifikepunye Pohamba had the B2 highway named after him by Roads Authority
“Then again, a person like former president Hifikepunye Pohamba is only too happy that the Roads Authority named the B2 highway from Swakopmund to Walvis Bay after him.”
Toll Roads to NowhereThe Namibian
Hifikepunye Pohamba took over from Sam Nujoma as founding president
“The grizzled founding president succeeded in having Hifikepunye Pohamba take over from him – but only after taking extraordinary steps that included intimidating his opponents and cutting deals for block voting.”
Let Them Campaign PubliclyThe Sam Nujoma Foundation is completing final arrangements for its new office building in Windhoek to support its work of preserving and promoting the legacy of Namibia's first president. The foundation, established in 2004 and officially registered as a non-profit in 2005, aims to promote Nujoma's vision, ideals and contributions to the country's development.
1 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Sam Nujoma Foundation is completing final arrangements for its new office building in Windhoek to support its work of preserving and promoting the legacy of Namibia's first president. The foundation, established in 2004 and officially registered as a non-profit in 2005, aims to promote Nujoma's vision, ideals and contributions to the country's development.
1 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Former Botswana president Festus Gontebanye Mogae, aged 86, died in Gaborone over the weekend. Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and current Botswana President Duma Gideon Boko paid tribute to Mogae as a distinguished statesman and principled leader whose presidency strengthened regional cooperation through SADC.
11 May 2026 · New Era →
A joint committee is drafting a strategy to revive the Loudima Institute for Technical and Vocational Training in the Republic of the Congo by July. The institute, which trained exiled Namibians during the liberation struggle and provided technical training in the 1980s, was suspended in 2021 due to poor living conditions and infrastructure challenges.
9 May 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has paid tribute to former Botswana president Festus Mogae, who died on Friday at age 86, describing him as a distinguished statesman and principled leader whose contributions to regional unity and development will be remembered across Africa.
8 May 2026 · The Namibian →
President Nandi-Ndaitwah expressed condolences on behalf of Namibia following the death of former Botswana President Festus Mogae, aged 86, whom she described as a distinguished statesman and Pan-Africanist who strengthened bilateral ties between Namibia and Botswana.
8 May 2026 · Informanté →
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare said the Namibian Government is accelerating efforts to move the Neckartal Dam project into Phase Two, which aims to unlock the irrigation component. The dam is currently at full capacity (857.781 million cubic metres), but the irrigation phase has yet to commence.
8 May 2026 · Informanté →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah removed Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo and replaced him with Major General Anne-Marie Nainda, citing a security incident in which a naked man was found inside the presidential residence as the reason for the removal.
7 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Former inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga says the failure to detect a man who entered the presidential residence last week exposed weaknesses across the police chain of command. The breach has fuelled speculation about the status of police inspector general Joseph Shikongo and raised questions about the VIP Protection Unit's head Michael Abraham.
5 May 2026 · The Namibian →
A series of accidents during the Workers' Day and Cassinga Day Commemoration long weekend resulted in over 20 deaths across Namibia, including 11 people killed on the B1 road when a Health Ministry patient bus collided with a truck. Former President Hifikepunye Pohamba called for urgent road safety interventions and stronger preventive measures.
5 May 2026 · New Era →
Swapo Party President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah urged members to uphold the party's founding values and principles during the party's 66th anniversary celebrations in Katutura on Sunday, which also saw the official inauguration of the new Swapo Party headquarters.
28 April 2026 · New Era →
An opinion piece in New Era argues that Namibia faces widespread social crises—rising crime, missing persons, accidents, and loss of life—that have left citizens living in fear. The author calls for national days of prayer and spiritual reflection, citing the example of former President Hifikepunye Pohamba's declaration of prayer during past national challenges.
17 April 2026 · New Era →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has appointed several new officials to ministerial and deputy ministerial positions, including Charles Mubita as minister in the Presidency, Hambeleleni Ndjaleka as deputy minister of health and social services, and others to various portfolio positions across government departments.
7 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Ongenga constituency councillor Josef Stalin Nenghwanya has said that Founding President Sam Nujoma and his generation laid a foundation for a peaceful, united and prosperous nation, with his legacy continuing through his presidential successors. Nenghwanya also thanked his own predecessors for establishing the foundation upon which he is now building.
1 April 2026 · Informanté →
Vice President Lucia Witbooi delivered a tribute at the graveside of Reverend Willem Konjore in ǂGabes on the eve of Namibia's 36th independence anniversary, highlighting his role as a founding father, liberation struggle participant, and senior government minister who died in June 2021.
24 March 2026 · The Namibian →
At a national Independence Day commemoration at Sam Nujoma Stadium on 21 March 2026, Frans Kapofi addressed Namibians 36 years after the country's sovereignty in 1990, honouring those who fought colonial rule and calling on citizens to contribute to national prosperity through active participation rather than passive expectation.
24 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Vice President Lucia Witbooi commemorated Namibia's 36th independence anniversary in Karasburg under the theme "Beyond 36: For a Prosperous Future," calling for unity and action to build on the country's foundations and accelerate socio-economic transformation. She highlighted government priorities including agriculture, youth empowerment, education, and green hydrogen initiatives, while acknowledging structural challenges in the IIKharas region and ongoing development projects aimed at inclusive growth.
24 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Vice President Lucia Witbooi called on Namibians to renew their commitment to building an inclusive nation anchored in freedom, equality, and shared prosperity, speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony for the late Reverend Willem Konjore. Witbooi highlighted Konjore's key role in the 1976 Nama Teachers' Strike and his subsequent contributions to Namibia's independence struggle and governance, including service as a Founding Father, Chief Whip of SWAPO, Deputy Speaker, and minister until his retirement in 2010.
22 March 2026 · Informanté →
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba called on ruling party lawmakers not to discard input merely because it comes from opposition members, advising that lawmakers should verify claims and acknowledge when opposition points are correct. He also urged Namibians to safeguard national peace and unity, warning against tribalism and calling for collective support of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's leadership.
17 March 2026 · New Era →
Two Namibian thought leaders argue that a statue of Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, who died resisting forced removals in Windhoek in 1959, should replace the removed statue of colonial founder Curt von Francois. They contend this would honour resistance history and build a more inclusive national narrative without erasing the past.
14 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Former Swapo secretary general Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana has warned that the party's vacant vice presidency is unprecedented and leaves leadership exposed to unforeseen circumstances, while raising concerns about selective interpretation of party constitution as the party prepares for its 2027 elective congress.
11 March 2026 · New Era →
President Nandi-Ndaitwah is reportedly pushing to end the practice of allocating state-funded mansions to former presidents, preferring instead to accept a portion of benefits for her own retirement home. The review of the Former Presidents' Pension and Other Benefits Act will also examine extending benefits to vice presidents, amid criticism that such perks are excessive given widespread hardship among ordinary Namibians.
27 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Ben Zaaruka, a survivor of the February 1988 Barclays Bank bombing in Oshakati that killed 27 people and injured 70, says the attack was an act of revenge by the South African army intended to terrorise Namibians. The perpetrators were never identified or convicted, though former president Hifikepunye Pohamba has characterised the attack as politically motivated.
25 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Liberation hero and former Cabinet minister Erkki Nghimtina was buried at Eenhana Memorial Shrine on Saturday, with Vice President Lucia Witbooi, Cabinet ministers and senior government officials in attendance. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah praised him as a courageous cadre who served the nation with selfless dedication.
24 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Former Cabinet minister Erkki Nghimtina, aged 78, was buried at the Eenhana memorial shrine on Saturday after passing away on 8 February. Political leaders praised him as a disciplined, loyal servant of Namibia who served in government from 1997 to 2020.
23 February 2026 · New Era →
The Namibian argues that Namibia's practice of awarding mansions worth millions to retiring presidents — including cases where former presidents received both cash payouts and homes — is indefensible when 36.9% of citizens are unemployed and thousands face hunger. The editorial calls on President Nandi-Ndaitwah to end the scheme, citing examples from Sri Lanka, Cyprus, and France where governments have moved to curtail such perks.
21 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Vice President Lucia Witbooi will represent President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and deliver a tribute at the military memorial service of former minister Erkki Dineinge Nghidipohamba Nghimtina on Friday in Ohangwena Region, joined by former presidents Nangolo Mbumba and Hifikepunye Pohamba. Nghimtina, a liberation struggle veteran who served as parliamentarian and minister for close to three decades, died earlier this month aged 78, with his burial scheduled for Saturday at Eenhana Memorial Shrine.
20 February 2026 · Informanté →
Political analysts and opposition figures say proposed legislative changes—transferring petroleum sector control to the presidency and restructuring regional councils to report through governors to the president—could concentrate executive authority and undermine democratic checks and balances. Defenders including a Swapo MP argue the measures are necessary to manage Namibia's emerging oil industry, but critics warn the pattern signals democratic backsliding and erosion of decentralisation.
20 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Members of parliament have called for a review of benefits provided to former presidents under the 2004 Former Presidents' Pension and Other Benefits Act, citing concerns over wealth accumulation and state-funded property renovations amid high poverty levels. Lawmakers and analysts debate whether the current law reasonably balances the need to secure former heads of state's living standards against public interests.
18 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Erkki Nghimtina, a former Cabinet minister who served in the National Assembly from 1995 to 2020 and held various ministerial portfolios including mines and energy, works and transport, and labour, died on Sunday. He played a significant role in Namibia's independence struggle and military history before transitioning to politics after retiring from active military service in 1995.
10 February 2026 · New Era →
The City of Windhoek Council has approved renaming Khomasdal's Rand Street to Joshua //Hoëbeb Street in honour of the 90-year-old former ambassador and politician. //Hoëbeb is recognized for his roles as an anti-apartheid activist, educator, diplomat, and regional governor, including serving as Namibia's first high commissioner to South Africa and playing a key role in Walvis Bay's reintegration into Namibian sovereignty in 1994.
10 February 2026 · New Era →