Windhoek – Sam Nujoma, the guerrilla leader who became Namibia’s first president after it won independence from South Africa in 1990, died aged 95 on Saturday, the Namibian presidency said in a post on Facebook.

Nujoma had been hospitalised over the past three weeks, battling an illness from which he “could not recover”, Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba said in a statement announcing the death. 

“It is therefore with utmost sorrow and sadness that I announce this morning of the 9th of February 2025 to the Namibian people, our African brothers and sisters and the world at large, about the passing of our revered freedom fighter and revolutionary leader,” Mbumba said.