Jerry Ekandjo
Encyclopedia
Jerry Ekandjo is a Namibia
n politician, currently serving as Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development.
Ekandjo was born in Windhoek
. He was a member of the SWAPO Party Youth League
from 1969 to 1973 and served as Chairman of its Windhoek Branch. In August 1973 he was arrested, and in November 1973 he was put on trial for incitement of violence. He was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison, which he spent on Robben Island
in South Africa
. Following his release in 1981, he was a teacher from 1982 to 1987, and in 1989, he was the deputy head of SWAPO voter registration. Immediately prior to independence, he was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990, and since independence in 1990 he has served as a member of the National Assembly of Namibia
. He also became Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing in 1990, serving in that position until 1995, when he became Minister of Home Affairs. After ten years in the latter position, he became Minister of Lands and Resettlement on March 21, 2005.
He received the highest number of votes, 395 (tied with Nahas Angula
), in the election to the Central Committee of SWAPO at the party's August 2002 congress. It was reported that at the time of the November 2007 SWAPO congress, some in the party wanted Ekandjo to become the party's Vice-President, although at the congress Hage Geingob
was elected to the post without opposition. Ekandjo is widely considered to be a hardliner in the party. He received the highest number of votes in the election for the SWAPO Central Committee at the November 2007 congress. On January 27 2008, he was elected as SWAPO's Secretary for Information and Publicity at a Central Committee meeting, a move that was considered surprising given Ekandjo's reputation for having a harsh attitude toward the media.
Ekandjo was moved from his post as Minister of Lands and Resettlement to that of Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development in a Cabinet reshuffle on 8 April 2008.
from Namibia. This caused great controversy in Namibia, especially with Namibia's homosexual community. The opposition Democratic Turnhalle Alliance and United Democratic Front
put forward a motion of no-confidence against Ekandjo, but in the vote on October 11 2000, SWAPO MPs voted unanimously against the motion, defeating it.
On 9 February 2001, Ekandjo was found guilty of contempt of court
for not releasing the jailed former representative of the Angola
n rebel group UNITA
in Namibia, Jose Domingo Sikunda, despite a court order to do so. The government said that it would appeal Ekandjo's conviction.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
n politician, currently serving as Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development.
Ekandjo was born in Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
. He was a member of the SWAPO Party Youth League
SWAPO Party Youth League
The SWAPO Party Youth League is the youth wing of the South West Africa People's Organization.In 2007, SPYL called protests against a visit by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe "reactionary and unpatriotic"....
from 1969 to 1973 and served as Chairman of its Windhoek Branch. In August 1973 he was arrested, and in November 1973 he was put on trial for incitement of violence. He was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison, which he spent on Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Following his release in 1981, he was a teacher from 1982 to 1987, and in 1989, he was the deputy head of SWAPO voter registration. Immediately prior to independence, he was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990, and since independence in 1990 he has served as a member of the National Assembly of Namibia
National Assembly of Namibia
The National Assembly of Namibia is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It has a total of 78 members. 72 members are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms. Six additional members are appointed by the President.The...
. He also became Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing in 1990, serving in that position until 1995, when he became Minister of Home Affairs. After ten years in the latter position, he became Minister of Lands and Resettlement on March 21, 2005.
He received the highest number of votes, 395 (tied with Nahas Angula
Nahas Angula
Nahas Gideon Angula is the current Prime Minister of Namibia. He entered into office on March 21, 2005, when his appointment was announced by new president Hifikepunye Pohamba during the latter's inauguration. Angula received a master's degree in education from Columbia University.Angula was...
), in the election to the Central Committee of SWAPO at the party's August 2002 congress. It was reported that at the time of the November 2007 SWAPO congress, some in the party wanted Ekandjo to become the party's Vice-President, although at the congress Hage Geingob
Hage Geingob
Hage Geingob is a Namibian politician who was the first Prime Minister of Namibia following its independence, serving from 1990 to 2002...
was elected to the post without opposition. Ekandjo is widely considered to be a hardliner in the party. He received the highest number of votes in the election for the SWAPO Central Committee at the November 2007 congress. On January 27 2008, he was elected as SWAPO's Secretary for Information and Publicity at a Central Committee meeting, a move that was considered surprising given Ekandjo's reputation for having a harsh attitude toward the media.
Ekandjo was moved from his post as Minister of Lands and Resettlement to that of Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development in a Cabinet reshuffle on 8 April 2008.
Controversies
In 2000, Ekandjo, as Home Affairs Minister, urged police to eliminate homosexualsHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
from Namibia. This caused great controversy in Namibia, especially with Namibia's homosexual community. The opposition Democratic Turnhalle Alliance and United Democratic Front
United Democratic Front (Namibia)
The United Democratic Front is a political party in Namibia. Justus Garoëb is the party's leader.-1989:The UDF received 37,874 votes in the 1989 election, which elected members to the Constituent Assembly of Namibia. The Constituent Assembly elected the first President and wrote Namibia's...
put forward a motion of no-confidence against Ekandjo, but in the vote on October 11 2000, SWAPO MPs voted unanimously against the motion, defeating it.
On 9 February 2001, Ekandjo was found guilty of contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
for not releasing the jailed former representative of the Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n rebel group UNITA
UNITA
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in the Angolan War for Independence and then against the MPLA in the ensuing civil war .The war was one...
in Namibia, Jose Domingo Sikunda, despite a court order to do so. The government said that it would appeal Ekandjo's conviction.