Job Amupanda facts for kids

Job Shipululo Amupanda was born on August 28, 1987, in a village called Omaalala in Namibia. He is a well-known activist, a university professor, and a politician. He served as the Mayor of Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, from December 2, 2020, to December 1, 2021. Before becoming mayor, he was a professor at the University of Namibia. He also helped start a group called Affirmative Repositioning. This group was formed by young activists from the SWAPO Party Youth League in 2014.

Early Life and Education

Job Amupanda grew up in northern Namibia, in the village of Omaalala. His grandmother, Theopolina Adolf, raised him. As a child, he often helped her sell goods.

University Studies and Leadership

In 2005, Amupanda began studying at the University of Namibia (UNAM). He earned a bachelor's degree in political science. From 2008, he was the president of the Students' Council. During this time, he became very popular among students.

Advanced Degrees and Academic Career

Amupanda continued his studies at Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 2010. He earned a BA Honors degree in political science in 2010 and a master's degree in political science in 2012. He also has a BA Honors in history from the University of South Africa. While at Stellenbosch, he created the Stellenbosch Political Science Students Association (SPOSSA). He dedicated his master's degree to the children of Namibia, especially those who went to school without shoes.

In 2020, he completed his PhD in Political Studies at the University of Namibia. His research focused on the history of diamond mining and its impact in colonial Namibia. Amupanda was known as one of the outspoken young people in Namibia. He often spoke about issues important to young people. In 2015, he won the Windhoek Observer's "Newsmaker of the Year" award in the politics category.

In 2015, Amupanda started teaching political science at his former university, UNAM. A year later, he became the Deputy Dean of his faculty. He was the youngest person to hold this position at the university at that time. Several well-known Namibian politicians, like Utaara Mootu, Inna Hengari, Joseph Kalimbwe, and Henny Seibeb, were his students.

Activism and Political Journey

Amupanda's journey into youth leadership began in 2007. He was elected as the secretary for information and publicity for the UNAM SRC. The next year, at age 22, he became the president of the organization.

Advocacy for Land Reform

In 2013, he joined the SWAPO Party Youth League. He was elected as the youth wing's secretary for mobilization and information. While in this role, he strongly supported land reforms. He also pushed for government organizations to be more democratic. However, his ideas about giving land to Namibians who didn't have any caused disagreements. The top leaders of the SWAPO Party disagreed with him. This led to Amupanda, along with Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, George Kambala, and Elijah Ngurare, being removed from the party.

Founding Affirmative Repositioning

After being removed from the party, Amupanda started the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement. This movement aimed to fight for land rights and other issues affecting young people in Namibia. In November 2014, Amupanda, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, and George Kambala took a bold step. They occupied land in a wealthy area of Windhoek called Klein Windhoek. This action was a protest to demand land in the city. It was also a response to reports of corruption within the Windhoek municipality. They called their action Erf 2014 to mark the year.

The SWAPO Party saw this as an illegal land grab. All three activists were expelled from the party. Amupanda had already resigned from his role as spokesperson for the SWAPO Party Youth League shortly before this.

The Affirmative Repositioning movement gathered thousands of young people. They went to the City of Windhoek's main office and submitted over 14,000 land application forms. Amupanda later challenged his expulsion from the party in court. In May 2016, he was allowed back as a party member. The Affirmative Repositioning movement also became a political party. Amupanda represented this party in the Namibian elections held on November 27, 2024.

Role in Local Authorities

Since April 2022, Amupanda has represented the Windhoek Council. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN).

Personal Life

On August 17, 2019, Job Amupanda married his long-time partner, Taimi Iileka. She is a lawyer. Their private wedding ceremony took place in his hometown village of Omaalala. Amupanda lives in Windhoek. He is also a big fan of boxing and takes part in boxing activities.

Political Inspirations

Amupanda looks up to several political figures. These include Burkina Faso's Thomas Sankara, Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe, and South African activists Steve Biko and Robert Sobwe. He also admires Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters in South Africa.

Mayor of Windhoek

In November 2019, Amupanda started working towards becoming the Mayor of Windhoek. He did this through his Affirmative Repositioning Movement. After several months of campaigning, he was elected Mayor of the city on December 2, 2020. Opposition parties voted in his favor to lead the city council.