Ngarikutuke Tjiriange
Encyclopedia
Ngarikutuke Ernest Tjiriange (born July 12, 1943) is a Namibia
n politician, a member of the National Assembly
and former Secretary General of the ruling SWAPO Party. He is the Minister of Veterans' Affairs in the Namibian cabinet
.
Tjiriange, born in Windhoek
, studied law at Leningrad State University and received a doctorate from Kiev University
in 1973. After doing research at the International Institute for Labour Studies in Switzerland
in 1974 and the International Institute for Human Rights in France
in 1975, he was an assistant professor at the United Nations Institute for Namibia
in Lusaka
, Zambia
from 1977 to 1982. He became the principal legal advisor of SWAPO in 1970.
Ngarikutuke Tjiriange was a notable no-show in the High Court in Windhoek in 2009 as the trial of his son on charges that include counts of murder and robbery entered its final phase. Tjiriange’s son, Elias Nhinda-Tjiriange, was convicted of murdering a cousin of his, robbing him, and later burning his body in Windhoek near the end of 2004.
Tjiriange was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990, immediately prior to independence. At independence in 1990, he became a member of the National Assembly.
He became Minister of Justice in 1990, serving in that post for thirteen years; he was additionally Attorney-General from March 2000 to January 2001. He was nominated as Secretary-General of SWAPO by President Sam Nujoma
at the party's August 2002 congress, and he was elected to that post. It was decided at the congress to make the position of Secretary-General a full-time job, but Tjiriange remained Justice Minister until May 8, 2003, at which point he was instead appointed as Minister without Portfolio. In the November 2004 parliamentary election
, he was first on SWAPO's candidate list. He resigned from the National Assembly, as well as from his post as Minister without Portfolio, in February 2005 in order to receive payment of a pension; however, he was reappointed as Minister without Portfolio by the newly sworn in President Hifikepunye Pohamba
on March 21, 2005. The opposition Congress of Democrats
was critical of the decision to keep Tjiriange in the Cabinet without a ministerial portfolio, arguing that he would effectively receive a salary out of taxpayer money for doing party work as SWAPO Secretary-General. On October 4, 2006, he was appointed by Pohamba as Minister of Veterans' Affairs upon the creation of that ministry.
At SWAPO's November 2007 congress, Tjiriange failed to be re-elected to the party's Politburo. On January 27, 2008, he was elected as SWAPO's Secretary for Environment at a meeting of the Central Committee.
Ngarikutuke Tjiriange announced in September 2009 that he would withdraw from active politics to devote more time to farming.
In his farewell speech on the 16th of March 2010 for the National assembly, Ngarikute urged his successors to deal with the land question, in particular the access to gravesites of ancestors.
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, a member of the National Assembly
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...
and former Secretary General of the ruling SWAPO Party. He is the Minister of Veterans' Affairs in the Namibian cabinet
Cabinet of Namibia
The Cabinet of Namibia is an appointed body that was established by the Chapter 6 of the Constitution of Namibia. It is mandated to include the following positions:...
.
Tjiriange, 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...
, studied law at Leningrad State University and received a doctorate from Kiev University
Kiev University
Taras Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv , colloquially known in Ukrainian as KNU is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is the third oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and Kharkiv University. Currently, its structure...
in 1973. After doing research at the International Institute for Labour Studies in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1974 and the International Institute for Human Rights in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1975, he was an assistant professor at the United Nations Institute for Namibia
United Nations Institute for Namibia
The United Nations Institute for Namibia was an educational body set up by the United Nations Council for Namibia from 1976-1990. Based in Zambia's capital of Lusaka, UNIN was the brainchild of United Nations Commissioner for Namibia Seán MacBride, the proposal creating UNIN was adopted by the...
in Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
from 1977 to 1982. He became the principal legal advisor of SWAPO in 1970.
Ngarikutuke Tjiriange was a notable no-show in the High Court in Windhoek in 2009 as the trial of his son on charges that include counts of murder and robbery entered its final phase. Tjiriange’s son, Elias Nhinda-Tjiriange, was convicted of murdering a cousin of his, robbing him, and later burning his body in Windhoek near the end of 2004.
Tjiriange was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990, immediately prior to independence. At independence in 1990, he became a member of the National Assembly.
He became Minister of Justice in 1990, serving in that post for thirteen years; he was additionally Attorney-General from March 2000 to January 2001. He was nominated as Secretary-General of SWAPO by President Sam Nujoma
Sam Nujoma
Samuel Daniel Shafiishuna Nujoma is a Namibian politician who was the first President of Namibia from 1990 to 2005. He led the South-West Africa People's Organisation in its long struggle against South African rule and took office as President when Namibia obtained independence on 21 March 1990...
at the party's August 2002 congress, and he was elected to that post. It was decided at the congress to make the position of Secretary-General a full-time job, but Tjiriange remained Justice Minister until May 8, 2003, at which point he was instead appointed as Minister without Portfolio. In the November 2004 parliamentary election
Namibian parliamentary election, 2004
General elections were held in Namibia on 15 and 16 November 2004 to elect the President and National Assembly. The National Assembly election resulted in a landslide win for SWAPO, which won 55 of the 78 seats with over 75% of the vote. SWAPO's candidate for president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, won the...
, he was first on SWAPO's candidate list. He resigned from the National Assembly, as well as from his post as Minister without Portfolio, in February 2005 in order to receive payment of a pension; however, he was reappointed as Minister without Portfolio by the newly sworn in President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba is the second and current President of Namibia. He won the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections overwhelmingly as the candidate of the South West Africa People's Organisation ruling party, taking office in March 2005. He has also been the President of SWAPO since...
on March 21, 2005. The opposition Congress of Democrats
Congress of Democrats
The Congress of Democrats is a political party in Namibia, led by Ben Ulenga. It is an opposition party represented in the National Assembly.The party is an observer of the Socialist International.- 2004 elections :...
was critical of the decision to keep Tjiriange in the Cabinet without a ministerial portfolio, arguing that he would effectively receive a salary out of taxpayer money for doing party work as SWAPO Secretary-General. On October 4, 2006, he was appointed by Pohamba as Minister of Veterans' Affairs upon the creation of that ministry.
At SWAPO's November 2007 congress, Tjiriange failed to be re-elected to the party's Politburo. On January 27, 2008, he was elected as SWAPO's Secretary for Environment at a meeting of the Central Committee.
Ngarikutuke Tjiriange announced in September 2009 that he would withdraw from active politics to devote more time to farming.
In his farewell speech on the 16th of March 2010 for the National assembly, Ngarikute urged his successors to deal with the land question, in particular the access to gravesites of ancestors.