Bernadus Swartbooi
Bernadus Clinton Swartbooi (born 11 October 1977 in Tses, ǁKaras Region) is a Namibian politician who was Governor of the ǁKaras Region before being appointed as Namibia's deputy minister of lands and resettlement in 2015 by President Hage Geingob, a position he subsequently was forced to resign from in January 2017.[1][2] On 27 July 2017, Swartbooi was removed from Parliament and resigned from SWAPO after which he went on to form the Landless People's Movement. Swartbooi attended secondary school at Suiderlig Senior Secondary School in Keetmanshoop. While at studying at the University of Namibia, he served as the Secretary General for Namibia National Students Organisation and progressed to be the President of the organisation. He worked as a prosecutor in Tsumeb and Khorixas respectively. He also served as special assistant at the office of the Prime Minister. Swartbooi holds a Basic Education Teaching Diploma from Windhoek College of Education (now University of Namibia Khomasdal Campus) and B juris as well as Bachelor of Laws from the University of Namibia in 2001.[3]
Bernadus Swartbooi | |
---|---|
Leader and Chief Change Campaigner of the Landless People's Movement | |
Assumed office 16 June 2018 | |
Deputy Minister of Lands and Resettlement | |
In office 21 September 2015 – 4 December 2016 | |
President | Hage Geingob |
Prime Minister | Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila |
Succeeded by | Priscilla Merjam Boois |
Personal details | |
Born | Tses, South West Africa (now Namibia) | 11 October 1977
Political party | LPM (since 2017) SWAPO |
Spouse(s) | Moetie Swartbooi |
Alma mater | University of Namibia |
Landless People's Movement
In 2017, after being fired by president Hage Geingob from his ministerial position, Swartbooi formed the Landless People's Movement (LPM), a new political party with the aim to bring about change in the country through equitable land redistribution. LPM advocates for distribution of ancestral land to Namibians whose land was dispossessed by German settlers in the 1900s.[4][5] He is the party's president and chief change campaigner.[6]
In the 2019 Namibian general election, Swartbooi ran as presidential candidate of the LPM. He only gathered 2.7% of the popular vote but is to return to Parliament as the Landless People's Movement gained 4 seats.[7]
References
- "Geingob fires Swartbooi". The Namibian. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- "President announces governors". The Namibian. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- https://www.namibian.com.na/159279/archive-read/Geingob-fires-Swartbooi | Geingob fires Swartbooi - The Namibian
- https://www.namibiansun.com/news/i-was-fired-by-thieves-swartbooi2018-03-23 | I was fired by thieves - Swartbooi - Politics - Namibian Sun
- Namibian, The. "We will give them a tough time – Swartbooi". The Namibian. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- Iikela, Sakeus (2 December 2019). "Reduced victory ... Swapo, Geingob drop votes". The Namibian. p. 1.