Richard Kabajani Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Richard Kabajani
Birth Date:9 February 1943
Birth Place:Katima Mulilo, South West Africa
Death Place:Katima Mulilo, Namibia
Party:SWAPO
Office:Namibia's ambassador to Cuba
Term Start:2000
Term End:2004
President:Sam Nujoma
Primeminister:Hage Geingob
Theo-Ben Gurirab
Office1:Minister of Youth and Sport
Term Start1:1995
Term End1:2000
Successor1:John Mutorwa as minister of Basic Education, Culture and Sport
Predecessor1:Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
President1:Sam Nujoma
Primeminister1:Hage Geingob
Office2:Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation
Term Start2:1992
Term End2:1995
Successor2:Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
Predecessor2:Marco Hausiku
President2:Sam Nujoma
Primeminister2:Hage Geingob
Office3:Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communication
Term Start3:1990
Term End3:1992
Successor3:Marco Hausiku
Predecessor3:position established
President3:Sam Nujoma
Primeminister3:Hage Geingob

Richard Kapelwa Kabajani (19 February 1943 – 17 May 2007) was a Namibian activist, militant, diplomat and politician. Kabajani was a military commander for SWAPO during the Namibian War of Independence and after independence served a minister in the Namibian government.

Early life

Kabajani was born on 19 February 1943[1] in the Caprivi Region in the village of Ivilivinzi, 117 km from Katima Mulilo. He attended school in Botswana from 1955 to 1964. While in Botswana, he attended Ngoma Primary School and Mulumba Mission School and in the later years developed an interest in politics. He was classmate of fellow future People's Liberation Army of Namibia combatant Greenwell Matongo and future traditional ruler of the Mafwe people Mamili Boniface Bebi.[2]

Career

In 1964, Kabajani joined SWAPO and was sent to Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Mbeya, Tanzania for military training. During the War of Independence, the Caprivi native was one of the first fighters to engage the South African Defence Forces in the northeastern Caprivi Region. In 1986, he became special assistant to SWAPO leader and future president Sam Nujoma. During the run-up to Namibia's independence, Kabajani was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Namibia, which wrote the Namibian Constitution.

He also was chosen by SWAPO to be in the first (1990–1995) and second National Assemblies of Namibia, where he served as Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communication from 1990 to 1992, as Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation from 1992 to 1995, and as Minister of Youth and Sport from 1995 to 2000.[3] From 2000 to 2004, he was Namibia's ambassador to Cuba. Kabajani retired in 2004 and died from heart failure on 17 May 2007 at Katima Mulilo State Hospital.[4] He was buried at Heroes Acre national memorial outside of Windhoek.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kabajani Richard Kapelwa . . 27 July 2022 .
  2. http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?title=Richard_Kabajani:_An_early__freedom_fighter_(1943_to_2007)&articleid=34180 Richard Kabajani: An early freedom fighter (1943 to 2007)
  3. News: Richard Kapelwa Kabajani - a PLAN fighter, diplomat and politician (1943–2007). Mwaka. Liswaniso. New Era. 27 June 2014. 6.
  4. Christof Maletzky: Richard Kabajani passes away The Namibian, 21 May 2007