Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s founding president, passed away at the age of 95 on February 8, 2025, after being hospitalized for three weeks.
He was the first President of Namibia and one of the principal leaders in the country’s struggle for independence.
Highlights
- Sam Nujoma was the first President of Namibia to lead the freedom war at the guerrilla level.
- He was hospitalized in Windhoek due to illness and passed on Sunday, February 8, 2025, at the age of 95 years.
- Nujoma got married to Kovambo Theopoldine Katjimune Nujoma on May 6, 1956, who supported him all the time.
In the 1950s, Nujoma entered politics and assisted in founding the Ovambo People’s Organization, which would later become SWAPO, in 1959.
Leading SWAPO against South African rule and organizing protests, he led the freedom war at the guerrilla level. In 1990, after many years of struggle, he gained independence and was elected as the first president.
Nujoma served for three terms up until 2004, serving the best time and playing a major role in shaping Namibia’s government and policies.
Namibia Mourns: Founding Father Sam Nujoma Passes Away at 95
The country’s first president, Sam Nujoma, passed away on Sunday, February 8, 2025, at the age of 95 years.
Three weeks earlier, he was taken to a hospital in Windhoek due to illness, which he could not survive.
Did you know?
🇳🇦Dr. Sam Nujoma was the last surviving founding president in Africa.
Rest in Power, Dr. pic.twitter.com/yxMpPWIZiA
— mOkapendi (@mOkapendi) February 9, 2025
President Nangolo Mbumba announced the statesman’s passing with a heavy heart and called him a “revered freedom fighter and revolutionary leader.”
The leader lost his life late Saturday night despite the treatment and observation in medical treatment.
His death has thrown the nation and the whole African continent into mourning.
Scores of Namibians went to social media to mourn the loss of the former president, whom they remember as a man who shaped their country’s future.
Citizens, politicians, and admirers across the continent hailed his legacy and described him as a wise, humble man.
He was the embodiment of humbleness and a repository of wisdom. Indeed, he was a legend par excellence and a colossus of unmatched proportions. He set the pace of good governance for the Namibian people. May his soul rest in eternal peace
The President of the Republic of Zambia shared:
Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Sam Nujoma – freedom fighter, nationalist, Pan-Africanist, and founding President of Namibia. His legacy will live on forever.
A Lifetime of Love and Leadership: Sam Nujoma and Kovambo Nujoma‘s Enduring Marriage
Sam Nujoma and Kovambo Theopoldine Katjimune Nujoma were joined in a remarkable marriage for almost seven decades.
The two got married on May 6, 1956, which was one of the turbulent periods in Namibia’s political history.
CONSOLED: Kovambo Nujoma (93), the widow of the late President Sam Nujoma, is surrounded by her children and family members as they gather to mourn. Kovambo was married to Nujoma for 68 years. Members of Swapo have also arrived at the residence of the pic.twitter.com/OqANPGxyPi
— Observer Namibia (@ObserverNamibia) February 9, 2025
While Nujoma was fighting for his country’s independence, his wife stood by him through thick and thin.
Throughout 1960, the political leader was under house arrest. Mrs Nujoma proved resilient in these difficult times and did not betray her husband despite pressure from South African security forces.
This is something that actually enabled him on his journey to the first presidency.
Moreover, Mrs Katjimune was the First Lady of Namibia between 1990 and 2005 and was popularly referred to as the “Mother of the Nation.”
The state awarded her the Most Brilliant Order of the Sun, First Class, for her invaluable service to the nation.
Even after her husband’s retirement, she still commanded respect, and streets and community halls were named after her.
Additional Information
- Sam Nujoma’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million as of [curernt-year].
- He was born to Helvi Mpingana Kondombolo and Daniel Uutoni Nujoma at Etunda, a village in Ongandjera.
- Nujoma had three sons and one daughter: Utoni Daniel (born 1952), John Ndeshipanda (1955–1993), Sakaria “Zacky” Nujoma (born 1957), and Nelago Nujoma.
