Richard Nchabi Kamwi (born 3 June 1950 in Ioma,
Zambezi Region
The Zambezi Region, known as the Caprivi Region until 2013, is one of Namibia's fourteen regions, situated in the north-eastern part of the country along the Zambezi River. The region's capital is Katima Mulilo. The Katima Mulilo Airport is ...
) is a
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...
n medical physician and politician. A member of 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 repr ...
with the
South West Africa People's Organization since 1999, Kamwi was the
Minister of Health and Social Services from March 2005 to 2015.
After graduating from the
Technikon Mmadikoti in
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
in 1980, Kamwi became the first black health inspector in
Katima Mulilo. After being relieved of his position in 1984, and subsequently arrested for political subversion in 1985, Kamwi went into exile in Botswana. He served in the
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 Africa Territorial Force (SWATF) during the S ...
until repatriation in 1989.
Kamwi resumed his position of health inspector until joining the National Assembly in 1999. In 2000, President Sam Nujoma appointed him to the post of deputy Minister of Health and Social Services under
Libertine Amathila. Upon the promotion of minister Amathila to the post of deputy Prime Minister along with the election of president
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born 18 August 1935) is a Namibian politician who served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He won the 2004 Namibian presidential election, 2004 presidential election overwhelming ...
, Kamwi was promoted to minister. He served until 2015, and then took up farming on farm ''Rimini'' in the
Otavi
Otavi is a town with 10,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. Situated 360 km north of Windhoek, it is the district capital of the Otavi electoral constituency.
Geography
The towns of Otavi, Tsumeb (to the north) and Gr ...
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Tsumeb
Tsumeb (; ) is a city of around 35,000 inhabitants and the largest town in the Oshikoto Region, Oshikoto region in northern Namibia.
Tsumeb, since its founding in 1905, has been primarily a mining town. The town is the site of a deep mine (the ...
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Grootfontein
Grootfontein (, named after the nearby hot springs) is a city with 26,839 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of central Namibia. It is one of the three towns in the Otavi Triangle, situated on the B8 road (Namibia), B8 national road that lead ...
triangle.
Awards
Kamwiwas was awarded The Most Brilliant Order of the Sun second-class for his distinguished service above the call of duty, in August 2024 by President Nangolo Mbumba.
References
1950 births
Living people
Namibian physicians
Members of the National Assembly (Namibia)
People from Zambezi Region
People's Liberation Army of Namibia personnel
SWAPO politicians
Health and social services ministers of Namibia
Namibian expatriates in Botswana
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