Richard Kabajani

The Honourable Richard Kabajani
Namibia's ambassador to Cuba
In office 2000–2004
President	Sam Nujoma
Prime Minister	Hage Geingob Theo-Ben Gurirab
Minister of Youth and Sport
In office 1995–2000
President	Sam Nujoma
Prime Minister	Hage Geingob
Preceded by	Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
Succeeded by	John Mutorwa as minister of Basic Education, Culture and Sport
Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation
In office 1992–1995
President	Sam Nujoma
Prime Minister	Hage Geingob
Preceded by	Marco Hausiku
Succeeded by	Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana
Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communication
In office 1990–1992
President	Sam Nujoma
Prime Minister	Hage Geingob
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	Marco Hausiku
Personal details
Born	(1943-02-15)15 February 1943 Katima Mulilo, South West Africa
Died	17 May 2007(2007-05-17) (aged 64) Katima Mulilo, Namibia
Political party	SWAPO

Richard Kapelwa Kabajani (15 February 1943 – 17 May 2007) was a Namibian activist, militant, diplomat and politician. Kabajani was a military commander for SWAPO during the Namibian War of Independence and after independence served a minister in the Namibian government.

Early life

Kabajani was born on 15 February 1943 in the Caprivi Region in the village of Ivilivinzi, 117 km from Katima Mulilo. He attended school in Botswana from 1955 to 1964. While in Botswana, he attended Ngoma Primary School and Mulumba Mission School and in the later years developed an interest in politics. He was classmate of fellow future People's Liberation Army of Namibia combatant Greenwell Matongo and future traditional ruler of the Mafwe people Mamili Boniface Bebi.

Career

In 1964, Kabajani joined SWAPO and was sent to Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Mbeya, Tanzania for military training. During the War of Independence, the Caprivi native was one of the first fighters to engage the South African Defence Forces in the northeastern Caprivi Region. In 1986, he became special assistant to SWAPO leader and future president Sam Nujoma. During the run-up to Namibia's independence, Kabajani was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Namibia, which wrote the Namibian Constitution.

He also was chosen by SWAPO to be in the first (1990–1995) and second National Assemblies of Namibia, where he served as Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communication from 1990 to 1992, as Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation from 1992 to 1995, and as Minister of Youth and Sport from 1995 to 2000. From 2000 to 2004, he was Namibia's ambassador to Cuba. Kabajani retired in 2004 and died from heart failure on 17 May 2007 at Katima Mulilo State Hospital. He was buried at Heroes Acre national memorial outside of Windhoek.