Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s revered founding father and first president, has died at the age of 95. Nujoma, who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990, passed away on Saturday night after a three-week hospitalisation in Windhoek, according to the Namibian presidency.
A former leader of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), Nujoma was instrumental in Namibia’s liberation struggle.
He served as president for 15 years before stepping down in 2005. Despite his strong leadership in uniting the country and fostering reconciliation, critics noted his autocratic tendencies and anti-Western rhetoric.
Namibia has declared a period of national mourning in his honour.
