Govt winds up Nujoma's office

The government has formally closed the office of late founding president Sam Nujoma, with Cabinet approving that the premises be preserved as a national heritage site to honour the revered statesman’s legacy.

Nujoma, who successfully led Namibia’s liberation struggle, died in February 2025, aged 95.

Cabinet confirmed that all materials, artefacts and documents from the office have been handed over to the National Archives of Namibia (NAN) by the founding president’s executor, the Sam Nujoma Foundation and his family.

Government has further directed the Office of the Prime Minister, in collaboration with the ministries of works and transport, and education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture, to oversee the structural conversion of the premises into a national museum.

In a related resolution, Cabinet instructed the education ministry to urgently dispatch a team to assess the condition of the Etunda Trust Fund School. The intervention aims to safeguard continued learning for children from Etunda and surrounding farms, while also protecting the property from potential vandalism.

When contacted for comment, secretary to Cabinet Emilia Mkusa said the information minister had already issued a statement on the matter during a recent Cabinet briefing.

“The matter was communicated by the ICT minister on 19 March 2026,” she said.

Former presidents’ benefits and offices are administered as part of the Presidency. Construction and upgrading of the founding president’s office complex was budgeted at approximately N$17.2 million in 2008.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah had previously indicated that provision had been made for an Office of the Founding President at Swapo headquarters.

“Now that he has departed, the office will be converted into the Swapo Sam Nujoma Museum, where valuable items such as diaries, books and other materials will be preserved for current and future generations,” she said during the unveiling of the Sam Nujoma statue last year.

She also called on members of the public to contribute to the preservation effort.

“We urge all individuals — Namibians and non-Namibians — who may be in possession of valuable historical items belonging to or related to the founding president to consider donating them to the museum,” she said.

As leader of Swapo, Nujoma became Namibia’s first president following the party’s victory in the 1989 United Nations-supervised elections, and was sworn in on 21 March 1990.

He assumed office at a time when the country was deeply divided by colonial rule, racial discrimination and years of armed struggle. His early push for national reconciliation sought to bridge racial and ethnic divides, while his administration maintained democratic governance, upheld the rule of law, and pursued the dismantling of apartheid-era inequalities.

During his tenure, Namibia recorded steady economic progress, although challenges persisted. A land reform programme launched in 1990 saw portions of commercial farmland redistributed, but structural weaknesses in the agricultural sector and rural poverty remained significant concerns.

His presidency was not without controversy. In 1992, Norway halted drought aid following government expenditure on a presidential jet and VIP helicopters, shortly after an appeal for international assistance.

Nujoma was re-elected in 1994 and again in 1999 after a constitutional amendment allowed him a third term.

He stepped down in 2005, handing over power to his successor, Hifikepunye Pohamba, who won the 2004 presidential election. - [email protected]