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Namibian Councillor Named 'Adolf Hitler' Poised to Win Re-election — Says the Name Holds No Political Meaning

Adolf Hitler Uunona, a long-serving SWAPO councillor in Ompundja, Oshana, is widely expected to be re-elected despite international attention over his name. He says his father gave him the name and that it carries no extremist intent; in daily life he typically uses Adolf Uunona. Namibia’s colonial history helps explain the presence of Germanic names, and Ompundja has 4,659 residents across 19 administrative centres and about 466 km².

04:25 AM, 11/27/2025Politics
Namibian Councillor Named 'Adolf Hitler' Poised to Win Re-election — Says the Name Holds No Political Meaning

A local councillor in northern Namibia, Adolf Hitler Uunona, is widely expected to retain his seat in the Ompundja constituency in the Oshana region after the country's regional elections, drawing international attention because of his name. Official final tallies have not yet been released, but multiple outlets project he will win by a wide margin, consistent with previous contests.

Councillor's explanation

Uunona, a longtime member of the ruling SWAPO party, told a German newspaper that his father gave him the name and did not appreciate the historical weight it carried. "It was a perfectly normal name for me when I was a kid," he said. "It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized this man wanted to subjugate the whole world and killed millions of Jews."

"The fact I have this name does not mean I want to conquer Oshana," Uunona added, and he has said that in daily life he generally goes by Adolf Uunona.

Context and local politics

SWAPO, which has governed Namibia since independence in 1990, began as a socialist liberation movement and has since moved toward a more centrist, market-oriented approach to governance. Uunona is a long-serving local official within that party and his expected victory reflects strong local support.

Historical note

Namibia was a German colony from 1884 to 1915. Germanic personal and place names remain common in parts of the country, and historians note that colonial-era naming practices can produce combinations that appear startling by modern standards without reflecting any political or ideological intent.

Constituency details

According to Oshana regional government information, the Ompundja constituency has 4,659 inhabitants, contains 19 administrative centres and covers approximately 466 square kilometres.

This story has attracted global curiosity because of the name, but local officials and voters say the focus remains on service delivery and community issues rather than the councillor’s given name.

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