Nangolo Mbumba

His Excellency
Nangolo Mbumba
His Excellency Nangolo Mbumba
	Mbumba in 2023
4th President of Namibia
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 4 February 2024
Prime Minister	Saara Kuugongelwa
Vice President	Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Preceded by	Hage Geingob
2nd Vice-President of Namibia
	In office; 13 February 2018 – 4 February 2024
President	Hage Geingob
Preceded by	Nickey Iyambo
Succeeded by	Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Chancellor of the University of Namibia
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 28 February 2018
President	Hage Geingob
Preceded by	Hifikepunye Pohamba
Secretary-General of SWAPO
	In office; December 2012 – November 2017
President	Hifikepunye Pohamba; Hage Geingob
Preceded by	Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
Succeeded by	Sophia Shaningwa
Minister of Safety and Security
	In office; 2010 – 4 December 2012
President	Hifikepunye Pohamba
Preceded by	Nickey Iyambo
Succeeded by	Immanuel Ngatjizeko
Minister of Education
	In office; 2005–2010
President	Hifikepunye Pohamba
Preceded by	Nahas Angula
Succeeded by	Abraham Iyambo
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
	In office; 2003–2005
President	Sam Nujoma
Preceded by	Theo-Ben Gurirab
Succeeded by	Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Minister of Finance
	In office; 1996–2003
President	Sam Nujoma
Preceded by	Helmut Angula
Succeeded by	Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
Minister of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development
	In office; 1993–1996
President	Sam Nujoma
Preceded by	Anton von Wietersheim
Succeeded by	Helmut Angula
Personal details
Born	15 August 1941 (age 82); Olukonda, South West Africa (now Namibia)
Nationality	Namibian
Political party	SWAPO
Spouse	Sustjie Mbumba
Alma mater	Southern Connecticut State University (BS); University of Connecticut (MS)
Occupation	Politician; educator;

Nangolo Mbumba (born 15 August 1941) is a Namibian politician who is the fourth and current 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.

A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Mbumba has headed several Namibian Government ministries: Agriculture, Water and Rural Development (1993–1996), Finance (1996–2003), Information and Broadcasting (2003–2005), Education (2005–2010) and Safety and Security (2010–2012). From 2012 to 2017, he was the secretary-general of SWAPO.

He was appointed Vice-President of Namibia in 2018 to replace Nickey Iyambo, who departed because of ill health. He succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Hage Geingob in February 2024, and announced that he has no intention of running for election.^[2]

Education and early career

Born on 15 August 1941 in Olukonda, Oshikoto Region, South West Africa (now Namibia),^[3] Mbumba graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in the United States with a BSc in 1971. In 1973, he graduated from the University of Connecticut with an MSc in biology.^[4]

After graduating from the University in Connecticut, Mbumba began teaching at Harlem Preparatory School in New York City. Returning to Africa in 1978, he became the Head of the Science Department at the Namibia Education Centre in Cuanza Sul, Angola. In 1980, he was promoted to Principal of the Centre. He held that post until 1985.^[5]

Politics

Mbumba officially took a position with SWAPO in 1985 as Deputy Secretary for Education and Culture. Leaving that position in 1987, he became Personal Secretary to SWAPO President Sam Nujoma. He was the joint administrator of Walvis Bay during its handover to Namibia in 1994.^[6]^[7]

Since 1993, Mbumba has served in the National Assembly of Namibia and in government ministries including Agriculture, Water and Rural Development (1993–1996),^[8] Finance (1996–2003), Information and Broadcasting (2003–2005), Education (2005–2010), and Safety and Security (2010–2012).^[4]

Mbumba was elected SWAPO Secretary-General at its 2012 congress, a position considered #3 in the party's structure. He won with 352 votes against Utoni Nujoma's 244 and pledged before the election that he would resign from his ministerial position if successful.^[9] On 4 December 2012, Immanuel Ngatjizeko was appointed to replace him as Minister of Safety and Security in the Cabinet reshuffle that followed the congress.^[10]

When Nickey Iyambo, Namibia's first vice president, was removed from the position in 2018 on poor health, president Hage Geingob appointed Mbumba as his successor.^[11]^[12]

President of Namibia (2024-present)

Nangolo Mbumba became acting president of Namibia when President Hage Geingob travelled to the United States for cancer treatment on 24 January 2024.^[13] He was sworn in about 15 hours after Geingob's death on 4 February 2024 by Chief Justice Peter Shivute at the State House in Windhoek and appointed Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to be his successor as Vice President. She was fielded by Geingob as the SWAPO presidential candidate for the 2024 Namibian general election, as his successor.^[14]^[15]^[16] Mbumba pledged to finish Geingob's term, which expires on 21 March 2025, adding: "I am not going to be around for the elections. So don't panic."^[17]

References

^ "Vice President Mbumba takes the baton at University of Namibia | Namibia Economist". Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ Nyaungwa, Nyasha (4 February 2024). "Namibia interim president says no plan to run in this year's election". Reuters.
^ "Nangolo Mbumba Profile". www.africa-confidential.com. Africa Confidential. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b "The Vice President. His Excellecny (sic!) Nangolo Mbumba". Office of the President. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
^ From school principal to Presidency… The rise and rise of Nangolo Mbumba
^ Mbumba, Nangolo (Resigned), Parliament of Namibia
^ Walvis marks 20 years of reintegration
^ "Namibia's First Cabinet". 30th Independence anniversary supplement to several Namibian newspapers. March 2020. pp. 6–7.
^ Immanuel, Shinovene; Shipanga, Selma (3 December 2012). "Moderates prevail". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 7 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
^ Selma Shipanga and Shinovene Immanuel, "Transition team picked" Archived 2012-12-06 at the Wayback Machine, The Namibian, 5 December 2012.
^ Matthys, Donald (8 February 2018). "President reshuffles Cabinet—Vice President relieved of duties". Namibia Economist. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
^ "Nangolo Mbumba being sworn in as the new Vice President of Namibia". The Villager. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
^ Mbathera, Ester (28 January 2024). "Politicians support Geingob on US cancer treatment". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
^ "Namibia's President Hage Geingob dies aged 82". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
^ "Nangolo Mbumba sworn in as Namibia's fourth President", The Star Kenya, archived from the original on 4 February 2024, retrieved 4 February 2024
^ "Hage Geingob: Namibia's president dies aged 82". BBC. 4 February 2024. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
^ "I will finish Geingob's tenure – Mbumba". The Namibian. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.

Further sources

Hopwood, Graham. Guide to Namibian Politics, 2007 edition. Namibia Institute for Democracy, Windhoek, 2007

External links

Interview winne.com, 27 February 2006

Political offices
Preceded by Nickey Iyambo	Vice-President of Namibia 2018–2024	Succeeded by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Preceded by Hage Geingob	President of Namibia 2024–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana	Secretary-General of SWAPO 2013–2017	Succeeded by Sophia Shaningwa