Who's Who
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| Iyambo, Abraham - Swapo | ||||
 Abraham Iyambo was just 34 when President Nujoma picked him out to be Deputy Fisheries Minister and a non-voting member of the National Assembly in 1995. In 1997 he took on the full ministerial role – an appointment that was seen as a move towards appointing younger members of Swapo who had technical expertise deemed appropriate to their jobs (Iyambo has a PhD in food science).Since 2000 he has been a voting member of parliament. In 2002 Nujoma picked him to fill one of six places the party president is allowed to fill on the Swapo Central Committee. Again in 2004 he was one of Nujoma’s ten picks on the Swapo party list – guaranteeing him a seat in the National Assembly. In 2005 President Hifikepunye Pohamba reappointed him as Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources. His marriage in 1999 made headlines after some fishing companies made donations to the cover the wedding costs. Following a political controversy, Ombudswoman Bience Gawanas investigated the issue and found that Iyambo had laid himself open to a conflict of interest. Despite the finding of the Ombudswoman’s report on the issue, no action was taken against him. Since then his diligence and technical expertise have helped push the ‘wedding saga’ well into the background. He was Namibia’s Commissioner General for Expo 98 held in Lisbon, Portugal. The jury is still out on whether his Ministry’s policy of getting established white-owned companies to enter join ventures with emerging black firms has been successful, although Iyambo has come out against shell empowerment companies that are not actively involved in the industry. Iyambo has supported the general trend of cautious fishing quotas in the light of scientific surveys that indicate low stocks. Although he rarely treads outside his specialised field, he has urged the return of the death penalty for crimes of murder, even though such a move is not possible under the Constitution. He spent four years at school in Havana, Cuba (1978-82) and speaks Spanish as a result – a useful skill since has to deal with Spanish fishing firms from time to time. |
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| Personal: | ||||
| Born on February 2 1961 at Oniimwandi in the Oshana region. Lives in Windhoek. | ||||
| Education: | ||||
| PhD, University of Surrey, UK (1991-94). BSc (Hons) Degree, Food Science, University of Surrey, UK (1986-90). Access course in food studies, South London College, UK (1985-86). | ||||
| Career: | ||||
| Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources since 1997. Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources (1995-1997). National Assembly member since 1995. Consultant, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (1995). Consultant UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (1995). Consultant, Ministry of Education and Culture (1994). Deputy Coordinator, Drought Relief Programme (1990). Teacher, Supervisor, Youth Leader, and Instructor at Namibia Education Centre, Kwanza Sul, Angola (1982-84). | ||||
| Legislative: | ||||
| Fisheries and marine resources, trade, science and technology. |
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| Contact: | ||||
| Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Private Bag 13355, Windhoek; tel (061) 205 3911; fax (061) 233286 http://www.mfmr.gov.na |
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