Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Immanuel Ngatjizeko | |
Honorific-Suffix: | MP |
Office: | Minister of Presidential Affairs |
Term Start: | February 2018 |
Term End: | February 2018 |
President: | Hage Geingob |
Predecessor: | Frans Kapofi |
Successor: | Martin Andjaba |
Office1: | Minister of Trade and Industry |
Term Start1: | March 2015 |
Term End1: | February 2018 |
President1: | Hage Geingob |
Predecessor1: | Calle Schlettwein |
Successor1: | Tjekero Tweya |
Term Start2: | 2005 |
Term End2: | 2008 |
President2: | Hifikepunye Pohamba |
Predecessor2: | Hidipo Hamutenya |
Successor2: | Hage Geingob |
Office3: | Minister of Safety and Security |
Term Start3: | December 2012 |
Term End3: | March 2015 |
President3: | Hifikepunye Pohamba |
Predecessor3: | Nangolo Mbumba |
Successor3: | Charles Namoloh |
Office4: | Minister of Labour and Social Welfare |
Term Start4: | 2008 |
Term End4: | December 2012 |
President4: | Hifikepunye Pohamba |
Predecessor4: | Alpheus ǃNaruseb |
Successor4: | Doreen Sioka |
Office5: | Director-General of the National Planning Commission |
Term Start5: | 2003 |
Term End5: | March 2012 |
President5: | Sam Nujoma |
Predecessor5: | Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila |
Office6: | Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy |
Term Start6: | March 2000 |
Term End6: | March 2005 |
President6: | Sam Nujoma |
Successor6: | Doreen Sioka |
Birth Date: | 30 May 1952 |
Birth Place: | Otjohorongo, South West Africa |
Nationality: | Namibian |
Residence: | Windhoek, Namibia |
Alma Mater: | University of Fort Hare |
Occupation: | Politician |
Profession: | Accountant |
Immanuel Ngatjizeko (30 May 1952 – 5 March 2022) was a Namibian politician and member of the ruling SWAPO Party. He held five ministerial portfolios from 2003 until his retirement in 2018.
Immanuel Ngatjizeko was born in Otjohorongo, a village near Omaruru in Namibia's central Erongo Region. He attended the Augustineum Secondary School in Windhoek and then went to study at Fort Hare in South Africa. He graduated with a Diploma in Commerce and Administration in 1976.[1]
After his return to South West Africa he worked at the Council of Churches in Namibia until 1994, heading its Finance Department. He then started working full time for SWAPO, first as Managing Director of its investment company Zebra Holdings, and from 1997 as party Secretary for Finance.[2]
Ngatjizeko was a SWAPO party organiser from 1978. He served on the Internal National Executive Committee before Namibian independence. He was elected to SWAPO's Central Committee in 1991, and to the politburo in 2007.[1]
Ngatjizeko was a member of Parliament from 2000, and member of the Cabinet from 2003, when he was appointed Director-General of the National Planning Commission, a position equivalent to that of a minister.[2] [3] From 2000 to 2005, he also served as Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy. In the 2005–2010 cabinet Ngatjizeko was first Minister of Trade and Industry and from 2008 Minister of Labour and Social Welfare. In the 2010–2015 cabinet he served as Minister of Labour and Social Welfare until 2012, and as Minister of Safety and Security for the remainder of the legislative period.
Under President Hage Geingob, Ngatjizeko moved back to the post of Minister of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development in March 2015.[4] In a Cabinet reshuffle in February 2018 he became Minister of Presidential Affairs[5] but resigned shortly thereafter and retired due to health issues.[6]
Ngatjizeko died on 5 March 2022, at the age of 69.[7]
On Heroes' Day 2014 he was conferred the Most Brilliant Order of the Sun, Second Class.[8]