His Excellency Nickey Iyambo | |
|---|---|
| 1stVice-President of Namibia | |
| In office 21 March 2015 – 8 February 2018 | |
| President | Hage Geingob |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Nangolo Mbumba |
| Minister of Veteran Affairs | |
| In office March 2010 – March 2015 | |
| President | Hifikepunye Pohamba |
| Preceded by | Ngarikutuke Tjiriange |
| Succeeded by | position abolished |
| Minister of Safety and Security | |
| In office 8 April 2008 – March 2010 | |
| President | Hifikepunye Pohamba |
| Preceded by | Peter Tsheehama |
| Succeeded by | Nangolo Mbumba |
| Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry | |
| In office 30 March 2005 – 8 April 2008 | |
| President | Hifikepunye Pohamba |
| Preceded by | Helmut Angula |
| Succeeded by | John Mutorwa |
| Minister of Mines and Energy | |
| In office 31 August 2002 – 30 March 2005 | |
| President | Sam Nujoma |
| Preceded by | Jesaya Nyamu |
| Succeeded by | Erkki Nghimtina |
| Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing | |
| In office August 1996 – 31 August 2002 | |
| President | Sam Nujoma |
| Preceded by | Libertina Amathila |
| Succeeded by | Joel Kaapanda |
| Minister of Health and Social Services | |
| In office 21 March 1990 – August 1996 | |
| President | Sam Nujoma |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Libertina Amathila |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1936-05-20)20 May 1936 Onayena,Ovamboland,South West Africa (Now in Namibia) |
| Died | 19 May 2019(2019-05-19) (aged 82) Windhoek,Namibia |
| Nationality | Namibian |
| Political party | SWAPO |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Medical doctor |
Nickey Iyambo (20 May 1936 – 19 May 2019) was aNamibian politician andphysician who served as the firstVice President of Namibia.
A member ofSWAPO, Iyambo was a member of theCabinet of Namibia since independence in March 1990. He was theMinister of Health and Social Services from 1990 to 1996,Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing from 1996 to 2002,Minister of Mines and Energy from 2002 to 2005,Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry from 2005 to 2008,Minister of Safety and Security from 2008 to 2010, andMinister of Veteran Affairs since 2010. He assumed the newly created vice president position in 2015 and served until 2018, when he retired due to poor health. He continued to head the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs until his death.
Iyambo was born inOnayena,Ovamboland,South West Africa, now inOshikoto Region of northern Namibia. He went to a school that had been founded byFinnish missionaries near to his home, and having completed the school, we was given a job as Namibia's first Black postmaster from 1962 to 1963. However, having become a SWAPO member in 1960, he fled into exile with SWAPO in 1964, travelling on foot toAngola, continuing on toZambia andTanzania.[1] He was amongst the earliest SWAPO members to go into exile and helped establish SWAPO's close relationship withJulius Nyerere'sTanzania.
At the time, Ylioppilaiden kansainvälinen apu (YKA, ‘Students’ International Relief’) was looking for projects it could fund, and its executive directorMartti Ahtisaari was informed from Tanzania of Iyambo, and YKA offered a scholarship to him. In late 1965, Iyambo arrived in Finland, and he found living quarters atDomus Academica, the student housing unit of theStudent Union of the University of Helsinki, where he shared a room with future politician and Governor of theBank of FinlandErkki Liikanen. Iyambo began his studies with theFinnish language, and at the same time, he participated in the students’ social life, through which he became friends with many Finns and helped to raise their level of knowledge of African affairs, which was becoming increasingly interesting for Finns in the 1960s. On the other hand, Iyambo himself now became familiar with the Finnish welfare state and how politics worked in ademocracy.[1][2]
Iyambo first studiedpolitical science in Helsinki, attaining first the intermediary degree of bachelor of political science and then a master's degree in 1970, after which he studiedmedicine, attaining first the title of bachelor of medicine, and in 1980, the degree of licenciate of medicine, qualifying him to work as a medical doctor.[3] During his time studying at the University of Helsinki, Iyambo was an active member of theStudent Union, and at the same time, during the early years of his studies, in 1966–71, Iyambo represented SWAPO in Finland and theNordic countries.[1]
After Iyambo completed his medical studies, he moved to Angola and became the head of medical services in theKwanza Sul refugee camp. Around the time of the independence of Namibia, Iyambo was among the first people in SWAPO leadership to arrive back in Namibia to prepare the country for elections as well as receiving the exiled fellow countrymen. Not insignificant was the fact that the process of moving towards independence was led by his old acquaintance Martti Ahtisaari.[1]
At independence in March 1990, Iyambo becameMinister of Health and Social Services, serving in that post until 1996. Subsequently, he wasMinister of Regional and Local Government and Housing from 1996 to 2002,Minister of Mines and Energy from 2002 to 2005, andMinister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry from 2005 to 2008. He was moved to the post ofMinister of Safety and Security on 8 April 2008.[4] After two years in that post, he was instead appointedMinister of Veteran Affairs in presidentHifikepunye Pohamba's second cabinet, serving in that post from 2010 to 2015. He was SWAPO's oldest member of parliament as of 2014.[5]
Alongside presidentHage Geingob, Iyambo was sworn in asVice President of Namibia on 21 March 2015, becoming the first person to hold that title.[6] As vice president, he continued to head the Ministry of Veterans Affairs with two deputy ministers:Alexia Manombe-Ncube andRoyal ǀUiǀoǀoo.[7]
Speaking in April 2016, Geingob and Iyambo dismissed suggestions that Iyambo had been relegated to a largely ceremonial role. Iyambo explained that he had a full agenda of work that kept him busy until midnight every day.[8]
In February 2018 Hage Geingob removed him from the position of vice president on the ground of poor health, and appointedNangolo Mbumba as his successor. Iyambo retained the ministerial portfolio of Veteran Affairs and Marginalised People, and also kept his seat in parliament.[9]
In the early morning of 19 May 2019, Namibian PresidentHage Geingob announced the passing of Iyambo who died at his Windhoek residency following a long illness, a day before his 83rd birthday.[10] As an acknowledgment of his position and his achievements, Iyambo was granted a state funeral in Namibia.[1]