Nangolo Mbumba
Nangolo Mbumba is a Namibian politician who was the fourth president of Namibia from 2024 to 2025. He became president after the death of Hage Geingob, under whom he had served as the second vice president from 2018 until his accession to the presidency 2024.
A member of the South West Africa People's Organization, Mbumba has headed several Namibian Government ministries: Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, Finance (Namibia)|Finance], Information and Broadcasting, Education (Namibia)|Education] and Safety and Security (Namibia)|Safety and Security]. From 2012 to 2017, he was the secretary-general of SWAPO.
Mbumba was appointed as a vice president in 2018 to replace Nickey Iyambo, who departed because of ill health. He succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Hage Geingob in February 2024 and announced that he had no intention of running for election for a full term later in the year.
Education and early career
Born on 15 August 1941 in Olukonda, Oshikoto Region, South West Africa, Mbumba graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in the United States with a BSc in 1971. In 1973, he graduated from the University of Connecticut with an MSc in biology.After graduating from the university in Connecticut, Mbumba began teaching at Harlem Preparatory School in New York City. Returning to Africa in 1978, he became the head of the Science Department at the Namibia Education Centre in Cuanza Sul, Angola. In 1980, he was promoted to Principal of the Centre. He held that post until 1985.
Politics
Mbumba officially took a position with SWAPO in 1985 as Deputy Secretary for Education and Culture. Leaving that position in 1987, he became Personal Secretary to SWAPO President Sam Nujoma. He was the joint administrator of Walvis Bay during its handover to Namibia in 1994.Beginning in 1993, Mbumba served in the National Assembly of Namibia and government ministries including Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, Finance, Information and Broadcasting, Education, and Safety and Security.
Mbumba was elected SWAPO Secretary-General at its 2012 congress, a position considered #3 in the party's structure. He won with 352 votes against Utoni Nujoma 244 and pledged before the election that he would resign from his ministerial position if successful. On 4 December 2012, Immanuel Ngatjizeko was appointed to replace him as Minister of Safety and Security in the Cabinet reshuffle that followed the congress.
When Nickey Iyambo, Namibia's first vice president, was removed from the position in 2018 due to poor health, President Hage Geingob appointed Mbumba as his successor.