According to ehistorylib, in 2005, Namibia had an estimated population of 2.1 million people with a population growth rate of 1.7%. The economy in 2005 was largely based on tourism, mining and fishing, with major exports including diamonds, uranium and beef. Foreign relations in 2005 were largely focused on economic cooperation with Namibia having strong ties to the European Union and other countries through trade agreements. The politics of Namibia in 2005 were dominated by President Hifikepunye Pohamba who had been elected to office in 2004 after an election which was considered by international observers to be generally free and fair. Pohamba’s government implemented major economic reforms aimed at improving living standards for all Namibians as well as encouraging foreign investment. While the country was seen as generally stable, there were still significant issues related to poverty and inequality that needed to be addressed.
Yearbook 2005
Namibia. According to countryaah, Windhoek is the capital and one of the major cities within the country of Namibia. An era in independent Namibia’s history ended in March, when the country’s first president, Liberal leader Sam Nujoma, resigned. He was succeeded by his close associate Hifikepunye Pohamba, who was elected in November 2004 with over 76% of the vote. The new president made a major government change and appointed former Education Minister Nahas Angula as prime minister.
- Also see abbreviationfinder.org for how the acronym NA stands for the country of Namibia and other meanings of this two-letter abbreviation.
Pohamba has profiled on a strong commitment to land reform. The days before he took office, he warned of a revolution unless the injustices in land ownership were corrected. Fewer than 4,000 families, mostly white, own 44% of Namibia’s arable land. Half a year after the change of presidential post, the government decided to forcibly redeem a farm owned by a white family, which was given a four-month deadline. Another 17 commercial farms were listed for expropriation in the first place. The government aims to offer agricultural land to a quarter of a million people.
In January 2002, the Herero people demanded compensation of DKK 2 billion. US $ for war crimes committed by the German Empire in 1904-07. A number of German companies, including Deutsche Bank, were accused of forming a “brutal alliance” with the German Empire to exterminate 65,000 gentlemen.
In March 2002, President Nujoma ordered homosexuals arrested. In a speech at the University of Namibia, he said that “homosexuality and lesbianism are not allowed”.
Although there is formal freedom of the press, there is pressure from the government and SWAPO on the state media as well as self-censorship. In August 2002, Nujoma appointed himself Minister of Information and Transmission.
In September, Nujoma in Johannesburg attacked the Western governments, declaring that Africa did not need their investment to develop. He also stated that Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair himself had provoked the situation in Zimbabwe, demanding that sanctions against the country be lifted.
In November 2003, a group of black farmers abandoned plans to occupy the land of white farmers after reaching an agreement with them. The government declared the land occupations illegal and outlawed.
In January 2004, Germany apologized for the killing of the Herero people during the colonial era, but at the same time rejected any claim for compensation.
In May 2004, Nujoma dismissed Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya during the SWAPO congress in Windhoek. Congress should vote on Nujoma’s successor up to the November presidential election, and although Hamutenya was the party’s favorite, he did not have the same support with Nujoma. The three candidates up for the vote in Congress were Hamutenya, Nahas Angula and Hifikepunye Pohamba, the last behind the scenes being Nujoma’s backing. After two days of Congress, Pohamba won the second round of voting by 341 votes against Hamutenya’s 167. After the Congress, Hamutenya was removed from the government without any official explanation. In his election speech, Pohamba stated that he would devote his time and energy to improving the living conditions of his countrymen.
SWAPO has completely controlled the political life in Namibia, and Pohamba therefore has high chances of being elected in November. However, Nujoma remains the chairman of SWAPO, and according to. a number of observers will therefore continue to control the country’s political life – even outside the presidential post.
Also in May, a new bridge was opened across the Zambezi River – between Namibia and Zambia. It is expected to have a huge impact on regional trade. The bridge also gives the Democratic Republic of Congo access to the port of Walvis Bay. The bridge is financed by Germany worth DKK 9 million. US $ and is just part of a major project that will make Namibia the pivot of regional trade.
