Gert Hanekom Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Gert Hanekom
Office1:Minister of Environment and Tourism
Term Start1:1995
Term End1:1997
President1:Sam Nujoma
Predecessor1:Niko Bessinger
Successor1:Philemon Malima
Office2:Minister of Finance
Term Start2:1992
Term End2:1995
President2:Sam Nujoma
Predecessor2:Otto Herrigel
Successor2:Helmut Angula
Office3:Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development
Term Start3:1990
Term End3:1992
President3:Sam Nujoma
Predecessor3:position established
Successor3:Anton von Wietersheim
Birth Place:Redelinghuys, South Africa
Death Place:Windhoek, Namibia
Nationality: Namibian
Children:3
Residence:Windhoek

Gerhardus Jacobus 'Gert' Hanekom (30 March 1930—2 December 1999), affectionately known as Oom Gert (Afrikaans: Uncle Gert), was a Namibian politician serving in several ministerial portfolios.

Biography

Hanekom was born on 30 March 1930 in Redelinghuys in South Africa Western Cape.[1] He attended school there and graduated from the University of South Africa as a chartered accountant. He subsequently worked as accountant in the private sector.[2] In 1956 he took up accounting work in Windhoek[1] and founded Hanekom & Kie in 1975, an accounting company that developed into the local PricewaterhouseCoopers dependance.[3]

Although initially a member of the Afrikaner nationalist National Party (NP),[2] Hanekom disassociated with its apartheid policies over time. He and other NP members left and founded Action National Settlement in 1986, a party that later joined the National Patriotic Front.[4] Hanekom worked with SWAPO shortly before Namibian independence and joined the party in 1990.[5]

Hanekom joined the National Assembly in 1990 by appointment of president Sam Nujoma as Namibia's first Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.[5] In 1992 he was moved to the finance portfolio, and in 1995 he became Minister of Environment and Tourism. He served until 1997 when he took over as head of the President's Economic Advisory Council.[6]

Hanekom was ill with cancer and heart problems. He died on 2 December 1999 and was awarded a state funeral.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Namibia 1990: An Africa Institute Country Survey . Leistner . Gerhard Max Erich . Esterhuysen . Pieter . Africa Institute of South Africa . 1991 . 227 . 9780798301084 .
  2. Web site: Hanekom, Gerhardus J. . . 23 April 2022 .
  3. News: Buchprüferriese feiert 40-jähriges Bestehen . Accounting giant celebrates 40 years of existence . de . . 20 October 2015 .
  4. News: Ex-NP stalwart Van Zijl dies . Menges . Werner . 15 January 2009 . 1 . . Windhoek . live . https://archive.today/20130111215928/http://www.namibian.com.na/news-articles/national/full-story/archive/2009/january/article/ex-np-stalwart-van-zijl-dies/ . 11 January 2013.
  5. News: State to honour Hanekom . . 8 December 1999 .
  6. News: Hanekom dies . Amupadhi . Tangeni . Tangeni Amupadhi . . 3 December 1999 .