The first president of independent Namibia, Sam Nujoma, died at the age of 95 in the capital Windhoek, announced the current leader of the country.
Nujoma led the long struggle for the independence of South Africa in 1990 after having helped to find the Namibia release movement known as the organization of the peoples of the Southwest (Swapo) in the years 1960.
After independence, Nujoma became president in 1990 and led the country until 2005.
Nujoma had been hospitalized in the past three weeks with a disease which he “could not recover,” said Namibian president Nangolo Mbumba in a statement announcing the death with “the biggest sorrow and sadness”.
He added: “Our founding father lived a long and substantial life during which he exceptionally served the people of his beloved country.”
Nujoma retired as head of state in 2005, but continued to lead the party before resigning in 2007 as president of the Swapo party in power after 47 years at the helm.
