Erkki Nghimtina
Encyclopedia
Erkki Nghimtina is a Namibia
n politician. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Nghimtina has been a member of the National Assembly of Namibia
since 1995 and the Minister of Mines and Energy since 20 March 2005.
(now Ohangwena Region
) in September 1948 to Meriam Shopati and Johannes Nghimtina. He began working in 1970 as a clerk in Oshakati
and from 1972-73 in the postal services of South West Africa
. He has 13 children; 8 daughters and 5 sons.
. From Zambia, he left to the Soviet Union
, where he trained as a military radio specialist until 1976. Returning to Zambia, Nghimtina became instructor and later supervisor for the eastern front of the Namibian War of Independence
until 1979. From 1979-1982, the Eembidi native was the Director of Communications at Shilumbaba in Zambia while earning a diploma from the University of Rostock
in the German Democratic Republic
. From 1983-1989, he was the director of communications for the People's Liberation Army of Namibia
(PLAN) wing of SWAPO.
in the rank of Colonel
and lasted in that post until retirement from active duty in 1995. While in the Namibian military, Nghimtina worked extensively with Southern African Development Community
and African Union
on regional and continental security measures.
n rebel group UNITA
while the Angolan Civil War
was coming to a close. He said that the Military of Namibia would not allow people to die because collaborators were Namibians.
Nghimtina consistently opposed the Iraq War, slamming it both immediately prior to and a year into it as a move by powerful nations to impose their will on weaker ones.
(RDP). At a press conference held by RDP following the events, Jesaya Nyamu
, acting secretary of the party, called it an attempted murder. Following the press conference, President Hifikepunye Pohamba
called Nghimtina into the State House
to discuss the matter, which led to Nghimtina's forced resignation from both the National Assembly of Namibia
and his Ministerial position. However, following a meeting of high-level government and party officials including SWAPO secretary Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
, the Minister was recalled to the State House and simply reprimanded, allowing him to retain his office. However, shortly thereafter, Nghimtina was heavily interrogated by Namibian police concerning the shooting. Infuriated by the interrogation, he resigned again. On 2 September, Nghimtina told the Namibian
newspaper that he had not resigned and other party officials called his resignation just speculation. President Pohamba left for Zambia
for the state funeral of former President Levy Mwanawasa
and was unable to immediately clear up the confusion. The next day, it was reported the Nghimtina had withdrawn his letter of resignation and return to his post after prominent SWAPO leadership other than President Pohamba overruled Pohamba's dismissal.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
n politician. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Nghimtina has been a member of the National Assembly of Namibia
National Assembly of Namibia
The National Assembly of Namibia is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It has a total of 78 members. 72 members are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms. Six additional members are appointed by the President.The...
since 1995 and the Minister of Mines and Energy since 20 March 2005.
Personal
Erkki Nghimtina was born in Eembidi in OvambolandOvamboland
Ovamboland was the name given by English-speaking visitors to the land occupied by the Ovambo people in what is now northern Namibia and southern Angola...
(now Ohangwena Region
Ohangwena Region
Ohangwena is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. The northern and western parts of the region are the most densely populated of this essentially subsistence agricultural region in which small scale mahangu cultivation and the keeping of cattle form the predominant activities...
) in September 1948 to Meriam Shopati and Johannes Nghimtina. He began working in 1970 as a clerk in Oshakati
Oshakati
Oshakati is a town of 30,000 inhabitants in the Oshana Region of Namibia. It is the regional capital and was officially founded in July 1966. The city was used as a base of operations by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War and Namibian War of Independence...
and from 1972-73 in the postal services of South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
. He has 13 children; 8 daughters and 5 sons.
Exile
Nghimtina fled into exile with SWAPO in 1974 to Oshatotwa, ZambiaZambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. From Zambia, he left to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, where he trained as a military radio specialist until 1976. Returning to Zambia, Nghimtina became instructor and later supervisor for the eastern front of the Namibian War of Independence
Namibian War of Independence
See also South African Border War.The Namibian War of Independence, also known as the South African Border War, which lasted from 1966 to 1988, was a guerrilla war, which the nationalist South-West Africa People's Organization and others, fought against the apartheid government in South...
until 1979. From 1979-1982, the Eembidi native was the Director of Communications at Shilumbaba in Zambia while earning a diploma from the University of Rostock
University of Rostock
The University of Rostock is the university of the city Rostock, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.Founded in 1419, it is the oldest and largest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area...
in the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
. From 1983-1989, he was the director of communications for the People's Liberation Army of Namibia
People's Liberation Army of Namibia
The People's Liberation Army of Namibia was the active military wing of the South West Africa People's Organization during the Namibian War of Independence. It sought independence for the territory from South African rule. PLAN launched its first attack on the South African military at...
(PLAN) wing of SWAPO.
Return to Namibia
Nghimtina returned to Namibia for the first time in 15 years in 1989. He entered the Namibia Defence ForceMilitary of Namibia
The Namibia Defence Force was created when South West Africa gained full independence from South Africa in 1989. The new constitution of Namibia defines the role of the military as "defending the territory and national interests."...
in the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and lasted in that post until retirement from active duty in 1995. While in the Namibian military, Nghimtina worked extensively with Southern African Development Community
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...
and African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
on regional and continental security measures.
Political career
Upon retirement from the military in 1995, Nghimtina was selected to the position of deputy Minister of Defence which lasted until his promotion to Defence Minister in 1997. In 1997, he was also selected to the SWAPO Central Committee.Political stances
In 2001, while speaking in the Kavango Region as Minister of Defence, Nghimtina denounced and threatened Namibian collaborators with the AngolaAngola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n rebel group UNITA
UNITA
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in the Angolan War for Independence and then against the MPLA in the ensuing civil war .The war was one...
while the Angolan Civil War
Angolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
was coming to a close. He said that the Military of Namibia would not allow people to die because collaborators were Namibians.
Nghimtina consistently opposed the Iraq War, slamming it both immediately prior to and a year into it as a move by powerful nations to impose their will on weaker ones.
2008 controversy
In September 2008, Nghimtina was accused of aiming a firearm at a young relative and firing a shot in his direction. He allegedly did this because the teenager had joined the opposition Rally for Democracy and ProgressRally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia)
The Rally for Democracy and Progress is an opposition political party in Namibia. It was launched on November 17 2007 under the leadership of Hidipo Hamutenya and Jesaya Nyamu, both former leading members of the ruling SWAPO party and cabinet ministers. Hamutenya had unsuccessfully sought the SWAPO...
(RDP). At a press conference held by RDP following the events, Jesaya Nyamu
Jesaya Nyamu
Jesaya Nyamu is a Namibian politician. A member of the Rally for Democracy and Progress , Nyamu was a high level member of the South West Africa People's Organization from 1964, when he fled into exile, until 2002, when he was expelled from the party for "disobedience"...
, acting secretary of the party, called it an attempted murder. Following the press conference, President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba is the second and current President of Namibia. He won the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections overwhelmingly as the candidate of the South West Africa People's Organisation ruling party, taking office in March 2005. He has also been the President of SWAPO since...
called Nghimtina into the State House
State House of Namibia
The State House of the Republic of Namibia is the administrative capital of Namibia, as well the official residence of the President of Namibia. Located in the Auasblick suburb of Windhoek, the State House was constructed by Mansudae Overseas Projects of North Korea from September 2002 to March...
to discuss the matter, which led to Nghimtina's forced resignation from both the National Assembly of Namibia
National Assembly of Namibia
The National Assembly of Namibia is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It has a total of 78 members. 72 members are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms. Six additional members are appointed by the President.The...
and his Ministerial position. However, following a meeting of high-level government and party officials including SWAPO secretary Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana is a Namibian politician and the Secretary-General of the South-West Africa People's Organization ....
, the Minister was recalled to the State House and simply reprimanded, allowing him to retain his office. However, shortly thereafter, Nghimtina was heavily interrogated by Namibian police concerning the shooting. Infuriated by the interrogation, he resigned again. On 2 September, Nghimtina told the Namibian
The Namibian
The Namibian is a the largest daily newspaper in Namibia. It publishes in English and Oshiwambo.-History:It was established by Gwen Lister in 1985 as a weekly newspaper reliant on support of donors, which aimed to promote Namibian independence from South Africa. Its first edition appeared on 30...
newspaper that he had not resigned and other party officials called his resignation just speculation. President Pohamba left for Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
for the state funeral of former President Levy Mwanawasa
Levy Mwanawasa
Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was the third President of Zambia. He ruled the country from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. He is credited for having initiated a campaign to rid the country of corruption...
and was unable to immediately clear up the confusion. The next day, it was reported the Nghimtina had withdrawn his letter of resignation and return to his post after prominent SWAPO leadership other than President Pohamba overruled Pohamba's dismissal.