Who's Who
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| McLeod, Laura Veenelapi - Swapo | ||||
 Laura McLeod became the first woman to be elected as a Regional Councillor in the Omaheke region when she won the Gobabis constituency in a by-election in June 2000. In the closely-contested constituency McLeod beat the DTA’s Frans Goagoseb by just 44 votes. In November 2001 the Regional Council chose her as the first female Governor of the Omaheke region, after the DTA Governor, Paulo Thataone, stood down. This was part of a rare power-sharing deal between Swapo and the DTA in which it was agreed the governorship would pass between the parties after three years.In 2004, McLeod convincingly won the Gobabis constituency as Swapo took control of the Omaheke Regional Council. She was again selected to serve as Governor. As Governor of the Omaheke region she has had to pay close attention to the sensitive land issue, particularly the mistreatment of farm workers. In reaction to the controversial eviction of over 30 people from Farm Kalkpan, she said: “Until when are our own people going to live like refugees in their own country? Even refugees in Namibia know they can go to Osire, but our own people, born and bred in Namibia, have to live like refugees” (The Namibian, October 28, 2002). McLeod joined Swapo in 1975 and left for exile via Botswana in the same year. She was educated in Zambia and East Germany and worked as a teacher in Swapo’s settlement at Kwanza Sul in Angola. In 2002 McLeod was voted on to the Swapo Party Central Committee. |
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| Personal: | ||||
| Not available. | ||||
| Education: | ||||
| Education course, Dresden, East Germany (1987). Teaching Diploma, National Institute for Public Administration, Lusaka, Zambia (1982). Diploma in Public Administration, United Nations Institute for Namibia, Lusaka, Zambia (1978). Secondary school education at Nyango Education Centre, Zambia (1975-78) | ||||
| Career: | ||||
| Governor of Omaheke Region since 2001. Regional Councillor for Gobabis since 2000. Agricultural Extension Technician (1996-2000). Acting Manager at rural development centre at Tjsaka, Omaheke region (1995). Development Officer, Ministry of Agriculture (1994). Swapo Party Women’s Council Regional Coordinator in Omaheke (1992). Omaheke Control Officer for the National Census (1992). Repatriation Officer during transition to independence, Luanda, Angola (1989). Teacher at Kwanza Sul Education Centre, Angola (1985). Teacher at Nyango Education Centre, Zambia (1976). | ||||
| Contact: | ||||
| Omaheke Regional Council, Private Bag 2277, Gobabis; tel: (062) 563191; fax: (062) 564007. |
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