Theo-Ben Gurirab

Theo-Ben Gurirab (23 January 1938 – 14 July 2018) was a Namibian politician who served in various senior government positions. He served as the second Prime Minister of Namibia from 28 August 2002 to 20 March 2005, following the demotion and subsequent resignation of Hage Geingob. Previously he was the country's first Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 2002, and was President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1999 to 2000. He was Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia from 2005 to 2015, when he was replaced by Peter Katjavivi. Gurirab ultimately resigned from politics in 2015. Early life and education Gurirab was born on 23 January 1938 in Usakos in the Erongo Region. In 1960 he obtained a teaching diploma from the Augustineum Training College in Okahandja, and in 1964 while in exile in the United States he graduated with a degree in political science from Temple University in Pennsylvania. Political career Gurirab was in exile from 1962 to 1989. He fled first to Tanganyika, where he won a United Nations study fellowship and relocated to the United States. He was Associate Representative of the SWAPO Mission to United Nations and United States from 1964 to 1972, then Head of the SWAPO Mission to the United Nations from 1972 to 1986. Subsequently he was SWAPO's Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1986 to 1990. He was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990, immediately prior to independence, and the "key drafter" of Namibia's Constitution. From 1990 to 2015 he was a member of the National Assembly, and he also served on the Central Committee and Politburo of SWAPO. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from independence in 1990 until he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Sam Nujoma on 27 August 2002, replacing Hage Geingob.