Sophia Shaningwa (born 13 May 1959 in

Outapi Outapi wa Nakafingo na Temba, also Outapi or Uutapi and Ombalantu, is a town in northern Namibia near the border with Angola situated northwest of Oshakati. It is the capital of Omusati region and the district capital of the Outapi electoral co ...

, Namibia) is a

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

n politician, currently serving as Secretary General of the SWAPO party of Namibia. She previously served as Minister for Urban and Rural Development from 21 March 2015 to February 2018 in President

Hage Geingob Hage Gottfried Geingob (born 3 August 1941) is a Namibian politician, serving as the third president of Namibia since 21 March 2015. Geingob was the first Prime Minister of Namibia from 1990 to 2002, and served as prime minister again from 201 ...

's administration. In 2017 Shaningwa was elected the Secretary-General of the

Swapo Party The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former ind ...

. Shaningwa left Namibia for exile in May 1980 and underwent military training as a

People's Liberation Army of Namibia The People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) was the military wing of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO). It fought against the South African Defence Force (SADF) and South West African Territorial Force (SWATF) during the Sou ...

(PLAN) combatant. She studied at Ivanova Teachers Training College in the Soviet Union. Shaningwa was appointed Governor of

Khomas Region Khomas is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its name refers to the Khomas Highland, a high plateau landscape that dominates this administrative unit. Khomas is centered on the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superior tran ...

in 2004. She later served as Governor of

Omusati Region Omusati ( ng, Mopane, after the dominant tree in the area) is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Outapi. The towns of Okahao, Oshikuku and Ruacana as well as the self-governed village Tsandi are situated in this region. , ...

. In 2014, she was elected to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

. She had previously worked at the National Housing Enterprise and served as Windhoek West councillor. Shaningwa was conferred the Most Distinguished Order of Namibia: First Class on

Heroes' Day Heroes' Day or National Heroes' Day may refer to a number of commemorations of national heroes in different countries and territories. It is often held on the birthday of a national hero or heroine, or the anniversary of their great deeds that ...

2014.

References

Living people SWAPO politicians People's Liberation Army of Namibia personnel Governors of Khomas Region Members of the National Assembly (Namibia) Government ministers of Namibia Women government ministers of Namibia Women regional governors of Namibia Women members of the National Assembly (Namibia) 1959 births 21st-century Namibian women politicians 21st-century Namibian politicians {{Namibia-politician-stub