Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s first democratically elected president and “founding father”, has died aged 95.
President Nangolo Mbumba announced the death of “our revered freedom fighter and revolutionary leader” via national broadcast on Sunday.
Mbumba said the former president had died late on Saturday after being in hospital for the past three weeks.
Nujoma was the leader of the South West Africa People’s Organization, a liberation movement which became the first ruling party after Namibia won independence from South Africa in 1990.
South Africa took control of the country as part of the World War I conquest of German colonies. Namibia became a German colony in 1884 and was known as German South West Africa.
Nujoma was sworn in as the first president of Namibia on March 21, 1990. He was re-elected for two more terms of office in 1994 and 1999 respectively.
Nujoma is survived by his wife Kovambo and two sons.
