Dr Nangolo Mbumba

Dr Nangolo Mbumba Official page of H.E. Dr Nangolo Mbumba, 4th President of the Republic of Namibia
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Statement By His Excellency Dr Nangolo Mbumba, Former President of the Republic of Namibia and Chancellor of the Univers...
16/04/2025

Statement By His Excellency Dr Nangolo Mbumba, Former President of the Republic of Namibia and Chancellor of the University of Namibia (UNAM) on the Occasion of the Northern Campuses Graduation Ceremony

16 April 2025
Ongwediva, Oshana Region

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great honour to be here this morning to preside over this graduation ceremony of the Northern campuses.

This auspicious occasion marks the fourth of the eight graduation ceremonies of the University of Namibia for 2025. It is a testament to the commitment, determination, and resilience of the graduands who are ready to receive their qualifications today.

Their passion, commitment and diligence has paid off. Their achievements exemplify the saying, “Hard work today means success tomorrow.”

Director of Ceremonies,

I am aware that UNAM is determined to play a role to ensure that higher education provides relevant skills and knowledge to our young people as a means of enabling them to contribute meaningfully to the development of Namibia, the African continent and further afield.

I also note with gratitude that in this very graduation ceremony we will be graduating over 800 graduates in various fields such as: Accounting and Auditing; Agriculture; Business Administration; Education; Engineering; Entrepreneurship; Nursing Science; and Public Health.

It is also pleasing to note that at this graduation there is an increasing number of postgraduate students, including eleven master’s degrees that will be awarded.

These graduates are not only meeting existing demands but are also leading efforts to reskill and upskill for emerging industries in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Many of these now constitute the majority of employees at several international companies involved in oil and gas in Namibia.

Director of Ceremonies

Namibia faces multifaceted challenges that demand innovative and practical solutions. Among these are water scarcity, high unemployment rates, energy insecurity, an over-reliance on raw mineral exports, an underdeveloped manufacturing sector, inadequate housing, and insufficient transport infrastructure to support economic and social development. Each of these challenges is not only an obstacle to progress but also an opportunity for engineers and researchers to innovate, collaborate, and lead.

I am informed that UNAM, is actively responding to these challenges by introducing cutting-edge programs designed to address national and regional needs. Among these are:

• A Manufacturing Engineering Program with Specialisation in Welding Engineering: The first of its kind in Namibia, this program is poised to support industrialization and advanced manufacturing.
• Master of Science (MSc) in Sustainable Energy: Addressing Namibia’s energy security by equipping professionals to lead in renewable energy and energy systems innovation.
• A Master of Science (MSc) in Petroleum Engineering: Preparing Namibia to sustainably manage and benefit from its hydrocarbon resources.
• Postgraduate Programs in Green Hydrogen, Water Engineering, Transport Engineering, and Structural Engineering: These programs are strategically designed to equip professionals to meet Namibia’s emerging demands in infrastructure, sustainability, and resource management.

I am confident that these programs will help address the pressing needs of our society while positioning Namibia as a leader in innovation and sustainability in these fields.

In the words of our late Founding Father and Leader of the Namibian Revolution Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, “The best way in which we can address social and economic inequalities in our country is by ensuring that all our people, especially the youth, are provided with quality education.”

In this regard, I commend UNAM for its commitment to providing quality education to our youth that will enable them to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.

Dear Graduands,

I congratulate you for having achieved this major feat of graduating. Remember though, that you have not arrived yet in your academic journey. This graduation should not be your final destination. Learning in the context of rapid changing world of work, global challenges, and digital innovations, is a lifelong journey. As the 19th-century academic Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Indeed, now that you have been empowered th ro u g h th e attain men t o f yo u r ac ad emic qualifications, use your knowledge, skills and critical thinking abilities to navigate towards new horizons and open up new pathways, so you can leave new trails as innovators and harbingers of economic development and prosperity. Become transformers of society and agents of change. Achieve your dreams, pursue your passions and make a positive impact on society.

In conclusion, I once again, express sincere gratitude to the parents and guardians for your support and guidance to the graduands. Without your support and sacrifices, their journey towards positive academic achievement would not have produced the desired outcomes.

I thank you!

18/03/2025

My Statement on the occassion of Last Cabinet Meeting - 18.03.2025

Valedictory Statement by H.E Dr Nangolo Mbumba Mbumba, President of The Republic of Namibia, to The National Assembly Pa...
18/03/2025

Valedictory Statement by H.E Dr Nangolo Mbumba Mbumba, President of The Republic of Namibia, to The National Assembly

Parliament

Windhoek

18 March 2025

1. When my old friend and comrade, Honourable Professor Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi formally invited me to return to Parliament to deliver a valedictory statement, I was initially hesitant. I thought that he was taking revenge since I am the one who on instruction of Founding President Sam Nujoma prepared his recall in 1992 from the National Assembly to become the Founding Vice Chancellor of the University of Namibia.

2. However, today I must say that I am honoured to be here, notwithstanding, everything we have gone through over the past 13 months. Our Republic lost two extraordinary and visionary leaders. Firstly, we lost our beloved third President, H.E. Dr. Hage G. Geingob on the 4th of February 2024 and on the 8th of February this year, we lost our Founding President, Father of the Namibian Nation and Leader of the Namibian Revolution, H.E. Dr. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma.

3. I am sure that you will agree with me that it has indeed been a period of tears and one of the darkest periods in the history of independent Namibia. Today, we are here, at the end of the presidency of our late President Geingob, which I am completing under extraordinary circumstances. We are also here, bearing witness to the end of the work of the 7th National Assembly.

4. Importantly, despite the victories and the defeats of the past, we as a nation have resolved to always march on towards the horizon and the promise of new beginnings. In this regard, the inauguration of Her Excellency Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as our Head of State, and the start of the 8th National Assembly will herald a new beginning for Namibia.

Honourable Members,

5. Although I am here to bid farewell to you, I am reminded of the saying that it is very difficult to say good bye to public life, especially to the Office of the President. Some say, apparently, power is sweet. Yet, I can assure you that I am happy to deliver my parting statement, if not statements this week. As this week marks the end of my formal roles in Public affairs, I look forward to join in retirement the person and leader I admired most namely, President Hifikepunye Pohamba. We will have a lot to catch up with.

6. Indeed, the passing of the baton from one President to another reflects the strong democratic foundations set by my three predecessors. We live in a country where Presidents can retire and live peacefully in society. I remain confident that moving forward, we will continue to consolidate the peace, unity, stability and prosperity in our country.

7. As I prepare to leave office, I am humbled to have occupied different roles in the Government of the Republic of Namibia, which commenced with my assignment as Secretary to the Cabinet, various Ministerial Portfolios and now ending as the President of our country.

8. My journey as a politician and member of the National Assembly started in the most remarkable of ways. Following completion of my assignment as the Chief Executive Officer for the reintegration of Walvis Bay into Namibia, President Nujoma called me to his Office and informed me that he was appointing me as Minister of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development. Parliament was in recess at the time and Justice Johan Strydom administered my swearing in as Member of the National Assembly and also administered my Oath of Office as Minister at the High Court.

9. The Speaker at the time was Hon. Dr Mosé Tjitendero, and as a Speaker who respect adherence to procedures, he was not impressed with what had transpired. He duly informed me that Members of the National Assembly are not sworn in at the High Court, but in the House at the National Assembly. Fortunately, my punishment was light: I only had to repeat the process again. That’s why I think that to date, I still hold the record as the most sworn in Minister. From that day, beginning of March 1994, I served as a Member of the National Assembly until I was recalled unexpectedly in February 2018.

10. I will not forget the sequence of events, which saw me uprooted from my seat as an MP. President Geingob tried to call me several times and when he eventually reached me, he was visibly annoyed that I was not readily accessible for him to speak to me. What cooled his mood was my explanation that I was at a book launch with former President Pohamba. This helped to cool him down and break the news that “I have decided after consultations to appoint you as the Vice President.”

11. I had promised my wife and family that my career as a politician would end with the term of office of President Geingob. Certainly, it is ending with the term of office of President Geingob, albeit in a manner which I did not foresee or expected.

12. We are here now, for some of us at the end of our political journey. Professor Katjavivi and I are part of the last generation of leaders, who left Namibia into exile in the 1960s. That in itself makes my parting statement, both exciting and full of emotion. Emotional - because it is the end of a long journey, which commenced with small steps from Ondangwa via Kongo, Nkurenkuru, and Rundu to Botswana, five decades ago. Exciting, because it is the beginning of a new season and a new journey for our nation. A journey, which under Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, opens up many possibilities for great accomplishments for both the citizens and visitors of the Namibian House.

13. I am hopeful that future legislators will build on the brilliant work of Hon. Dr. Mosé Tjitendero and Hon. Kandy Nehova, who in 1995, laid the first bricks for the strong healthy and robust National Assembly and National Council that we cherished today as the hallowed bastions of our democracy. To a certain degree, we have succeeded in living up to the expectations of their jointly authored book, “Agenda for Change: Consolidating Parliamentary Democracy in Namibia.” Today, the National Assembly and the National Council are placed at the heart and centre of our democracy “as living institutions of democracy and good governance.”

14. Honorable Theo-Ben Gurirab, Professor Peter Katjavivi, Ambassador Margaret Mensah, Honorable Bernard Songa Sibalatani and Hon. Lukas Muha have all build on the outstanding foundational work of Dr. Tjitendero and Hon Nehova. Similarly, all members of Parliament throughout the years have also played pivotal roles in making Parliament a living, respected and honored pillar of our democracy.

15. Therefore, over the past 35 years, and I can also speak from my experience as a member of the legislature for over two decades, that this August House has endeavored to fulfill its mandate as a vital channel for contrary views that reflect the diversity of voices in our nation. When all is said and done, the laws made here are sovereign, because the people who voted for them are the representative of our citizens who are the ultimate Sovereigns of democratic Namibia.

16. I am incredibly proud to end part of my work here. I wish to thank all of you in this Chamber for the support you have provided to me during my tenure in public office. The work we have accomplished together in the past year, and generally during the Geingob Presidency is commendable and demonstrates the strength of the Legislature as an essential democratic Pillar of the Namibian State.

17. It is in this chamber that Namibians from all walks of life place their faith, by electing freely the individuals and political parties of their choice that will serve as their representative voices. It is here where the sovereignty of the Namibian people find an important echo chamber and I am truly blessed to have been part of Parliament and to work closely with the Legislature.

18. It is from here that my political career assumed an identity and character of its own under a different set of circumstances.

19. Since I am now ending my political career to join my fellow citizens, I would like to encourage current and future generations of Members of Parliament to continue using this Chamber as a platform to advance the ideals of unity, liberty, equality and justice as enshrined in our Constitution. Current and future generations must advance the ethos of this Chamber to ensure the victory in the Second Struggle for the Economic Freedom of all Namibians. They must continue to fight against the vices of racism, tribalism, division and corruption to honor the noble values for which many heroes and heroines have sacrificed their lives, to achieve the independence and nationhood of Namibia on March 21, 1990.

• Long live the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia.

• Long live the Republic of Namibia.

I thank you.

Today, I had the honor of attending church service at Olukonda ELCIN Church in my home village, where I was born. Surrou...
16/03/2025

Today, I had the honor of attending church service at Olukonda ELCIN Church in my home village, where I was born. Surrounded by my community, I took a moment to reflect on this journey and bid farewell as President of the Republic of Namibia.

As I prepare to hand over the baton to President-elect Cde. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who will be sworn in on 21 March 2025 in Windhoek, I do so with gratitude for the trust and support of the Namibian people.

I visited the HyIron project to familiarize myself with progress made in what is to become a key initiative in our green...
07/03/2025

I visited the HyIron project to familiarize myself with progress made in what is to become a key initiative in our green industrialization journey.

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