Ben Ulenga

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Benjamin Ulenga (born Benjamin Uulenga Uulenga on June 22, 1952

National Assembly of Namibia
from 2000 to 2015 and led the CoD until 2015.

Life and career

Ulenga, born in

Oshana Region,[1] played an influential role in the independence struggle of Namibia against South African apartheid rule.[2] He joined the People's Liberation Army of Namibia in 1974 but was later captured after being wounded in combat and sentenced to 15 years in prison, which he spent on Robben Island.[3] He was released in 1985.[1] At that time he met Rosa Namises. They had two children together before separating in 1988.[4]

Ulenga founded the

1999 parliamentary election.[10]

At a CoD congress, Ulenga was re-elected as president of the CoD on August 1, 2004; he was also chosen as the party's candidate for the

concurrent 2004 parliamentary election, he was re-elected to the National Assembly.[13]

At an extraordinary party congress held in Keetmanshoop in May 2008,[14][15] Ulenga was re-elected as CoD president; he defeated Ignatius Shixwameni by 14 votes, and Shixwameni, rejecting the outcome, left the congress in protest along with about half of the delegates. Shixwameni alleged rigging and claimed that his CoD faction represented the majority of the party; his faction went to the High Court to press these claims.[14] In July 2008, the High Court ruled in favor of the Shixwameni faction, nullifying the May 2007 congress. Ulenga accepted the decision.[15]

In the 2009 general election, Ulenga's support dropped significantly and he received 5,812 votes (0.72%), which placed him in 9th place out of 12 candidates for president. This represented more than 50,000 fewer votes than he had received when he finished second to Pohamba in the 2004 campaign. Similarly, the CoD lost four of five members of the National Assembly. Ulenga, however, was re-elected.[16] Ulenga rejoined SWAPO in 2017.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Profile of Ulenga on Namibian Parliament website[permanent dead link].
  2. ^ Angula, Sonja. "Ulenga set for shock Swapo return - Windhoek Observer". Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ^ Nolundi (18 September 2015). "Benjamin Ulenga". South African History Online. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ^ von Wietersheim, Erika (2001). "Namibia: Rosa Namises kämpft für Gerechtigkeit". Der Überblick (1): 85.
  5. ^ "NUNW: Proud history, uncertain future". New Era. 30 April 2019.
  6. ^ List of members of the Constituent Assembly, parliament.gov.na.
  7. ^ "Spot the difference: Congress of Democrats" (PDF). www.nid.org.na/.
  8. ^ "Namibia: Official quits over proposed Nujoma third term, country's role in Congo", SAPA news agency, August 28, 1998.
  9. ^ Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 428.
  10. ^ List of members of the National Assembly elected in 1999[permanent dead link].
  11. ^ "Namibia's Congress of Democrats elects its 2004 presidential poll flagbearer", Nampa, August 2, 2004.
  12. ^ "Election update 2004, Namibia", EISA report, number 3, December 10, 2004, page 9. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ^ List of members of the National Assembly elected in 2004[permanent dead link].
  14. ^ a b Brigitte Weidlich, "CoD's Ben Ulenga to sue 'rebel' MPs"[permanent dead link], The Namibian, December 21, 2007.
  15. ^ a b Kuvee Kangueehi, "Ulenga accepts court ruling", New Era, July 21, 2008.
  16. ^ "Politics-Namibia: SWAPO wins", Inter Press Service, 6 December 2009. "POLITICS-NAMIBIA: SWAPO Wins - IPS ipsnews.net". Archived from the original on 6 December 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
  17. ^ "Ben Ulenga: Why I rejoined Swapo". The Patriot. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.

External links

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