Peter Katjavivi
{{short description|Namibian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Peter Katjavivi 2017 in India.jpeg
| honorific-prefix = The Honorable
| name =
| office = Speaker of the National Assembly
| president = Hage Geingob
{{small|(2015–2024)}}
Nangolo Mbumba
{{small|(2024-2025)}}
| deputy =
| term_start = 21 March 2015
| term_end = 21 March 2025
| predecessor = Theo-Ben Gurirab
| successor =
| office1 = Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia
| president1 =
| deputy1 =
| term_start1 = 1992
| term_end1 = 2003
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 = Lazarus Hangula
| office2 =
| president2 =
| deputy2 =
| term_start2 =
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| office3 = Chancellor of the Namibia University of Science and Technology
| president3 =
| deputy3 = Tjama Tjivikua
| term_start3 = October 2016
| term_end3 =
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1941|05|12}}
| birth_place = Okahandja
South-West Africa
| nationality = Namibian
| spouse = Jane Katjavivi (1981–2022)
| children = 5 (including Perivi Katjavivi)
| party = SWAPO
| profession = Professor
| occupation = Politician
| caption = Katjavivi in 2017
}}
Peter Hitjitevi Katjavivi (born 12 May 1941) is a Namibian politician who served as Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia from March 2015 until March 2025. He was also the chancellor of the Namibia University of Science and Technology from 1992 to 2003. Previously he was the founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia from 1992 to 2003, Ambassador to the European Union from 2003 to 2006, Ambassador to Germany from 2006 to 2008, and Director General of the National Planning Commission from 2008 to 2010.{{Cite web|url=http://www.unmultimedia.org/oralhistory/2011/06/katjavivi-peter/|title=Search|website=www.unmultimedia.org|language=en|access-date=2017-09-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.newera.com.na/2014/06/20/intellectual-liberation-struggle-hero-professor-peter-katjavivi-1941/|title=The intellectual liberation struggle hero: Professor Peter Katjavivi (1941 … )|date=2014-06-20|website=New Era Newspaper Namibia|access-date=2017-09-08}}
Life and career
Peter Katjavivi was born in Okahandja and attended a primary school in Windhoek, then the Augustineum Secondary School in Okahandja (1960–61) and the Government College Umuahia, Nigeria (1963-1966). In 1966/67 he began studying History, Law, and Political Science at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Katjavivi joined SWAPO in the 1960s and was head of SWAPO's overseas offices in London. In 1986 he obtained a doctorate (DPhil) at St Antony's College, Oxford.
In 1989, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly of Namibia. From 1992 to 2003 he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, the foundation of which he had significant influence. Katjavivi was a member of numerous national and international educational, cultural, and research organizations. He served as President of the Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit beginning in 1990, as Chairman of the Council of National Monuments (now the National Heritage Council of Namibia) from 1992 to 2000, and as an Executive Council Member of UNESCO from 1993 to 1997. From 2003 to 2006 he was Namibia's Ambassador to the European Union in Brussels, and from 2006 to 2008, Ambassador to Germany. He was appointed as Director-General of the National Planning Commission on 8 April 2008.Christof Maletsky, [http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=40601&page=archive-read "Pohamba reshuffles Cabinet"], The Namibian, 9 April 2008.
Following the November 2009 parliamentary election, President Hifikepunye Pohamba appointed Katjavivi to the National Assembly as one of the six non-voting members of parliament appointed by the President for the term that began in March 2010.Bridgitte Weidlich, [http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=64120&page=archive-read "Sixty seven new MPs sworn in"], The Namibian, 23 March 2010. Subsequently, he was SWAPO's Chief Whip in the National Assembly. He was elected to the National Assembly in the November 2014 parliamentary election as a SWAPO candidate.[https://www.newera.com.na/2014/12/02/so-parliament/ "So, who is going to parliament?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729091837/https://www.newera.com.na/2014/12/02/so-parliament/ |date=2015-07-29 }}, New Era, 2 December 2014. When the National Assembly began sitting for its new term on 20 March 2015, Katjavivi was sworn in as Speaker of Parliament, succeeding Theo-Ben Gurirab.[http://mobi.nampa.org/index.php?f=display&n=115963 "Katjavivi is now Speaker of the National Assembly"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116013036/http://mobi.nampa.org/index.php?f=display&n=115963 |date=2018-11-16 }}, NAMPA, 20 March 2015.Shinovene Immanuel, [http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=134998&page=archive-read "Katjavivi vows to keep MPs in line"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321042637/http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=134998&page=archive-read |date=2023-03-21 }}, The Namibian, 23 March 2015. In 2016 he was appointed chancellor of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).{{Cite news | title=Katjavivi appointed NUST chancellor | newspaper=New Era | date= 18 October 2016 | url=https://www.newera.com.na/2016/10/18/katjavivi-appointed-nust-chancellor/}}
Personal life
Katjavivi was married to a British woman Jane, and has five children. Besides his native Herero, he speaks five other languages.{{cn|date=July 2019}}
Awards
- Ordre des Palmes Académiques , France, 1996
- Distinguished Academic Visitor Award, New Delhi, India, 1998
- Honorary Doctorate of the University of Joensuu, Finland, 1999
- Certificate of Service to the Executive Council of the Association of African Universities (AAU), 2002
- Most Brilliant Order of the Sun, First Class, Heroes' Day 2014{{Cite news | title=Namibians honoured by President | newspaper=New Era | date=28 August 2014 | url=http://www.newera.com.na/2014/08/28/namibians-honoured-by-president/ | access-date=20 November 2017 | archive-date=29 June 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629064451/https://www.newera.com.na/2014/08/28/namibians-honoured-by-president/ | url-status=dead }}
Publications
- The Road to Namibian Independence, Gamsberg Macmillan, Windhoek.
- Church and Liberation in Namibia, Zwan Publications, London, 1989.
- A History of Resistance in Namibia, James Currey, London, 1988 {{Cite news|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/history-resistance-namibia-peter-h-katjavivi|title=A History of Resistance in Namibia by Peter H. Katjavivi|last=Nolundi|date=2016-05-10|work=South African History Online|access-date=8 September 2017}}
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- [https://nai.uu.se/library/resources/liberation-africa/interviews/peter-katjavivi.html Interview with Peter Katjavivi by Tor Sellström within the project Nordic Documentation on the Liberation Struggle in Southern Africa] – dated 20 March 1995
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Category:People from Okahandja
Category:Politicians from Otjozondjupa Region
Category:Speakers of the National Assembly (Namibia)
Category:Members of the 1st National Assembly of Namibia
Category:Members of the 5th National Assembly of Namibia
Category:Members of the 6th National Assembly of Namibia
Category:Members of the 7th National Assembly of Namibia
Category:Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford
Category:Government College Umuahia alumni
Category:Namibia University of Science and Technology