Hendrik Witbooi (politician)

The Honorable Hendrik Witbooi
Deputy Prime Minister
In office 1995–2004
President	Sam Nujoma
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	Libertina Amathila
Minister of Labour and Manpower Development
In office 21 March 1990 – 1995
President	Sam Nujoma
Preceded by	position established
Personal details
Born	(1934-01-07) 7 January 1934 Gibeon, Hardap Region
Died	(2009-10-13)13 October 2009 Windhoek
Nationality	Namibian
Political party	SWAPO
Occupation	Politician

Reverend Dr Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi (traditional name ǃNanseb ǀGabemab, 7 January 1934, in Gibeon – 13 October 2009, in Windhoek) was a Namibian politician and the seventh Captain of the ǀKhowesin clan. A member of SWAPO from 1976 until his death, Witbooi brought with him several clans of Namaqua into the liberation organisation.

Imprisoned numerous times during the Namibian War of Independence, Witbooi was first elected as Vice-President of SWAPO in 1984 and was re-elected for the last time in 1997. A member of the Constituent Assembly in 1989-90, Witbooi served in the National Assembly until his 2004 retirement, including a stint (1990-1995) as Minister of Labour and Manpower Development.

Witbooi became Namibia's first Deputy Prime Minister in 1995. He served in that position until 2004.

In October 2009, it was reported that Witbooi was facing major medical problems and had slipped into a coma at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek. On 13 October, Witbooi died at the Roman Catholic Hospital due to cancer.

Personal

Witbooi was the great-grandson of Hendrik Witbooi, the early resistance leader who led his chiefly followers against European colonisation.