Politician Secures Fifth Term and Sheds Controversial Moniker
A Namibian politician who shares his name with the infamous Nazi leader has been re-elected for a fifth consecutive term while simultaneously making a significant personal change. Adolf Hitler Uunona, 59, successfully defended his position representing the Ompundja constituency in the Oshana region in elections held on Wednesday.
The longstanding member of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) has held this seat since 2004. Despite his electoral success, his name has been a persistent source of international attention and personal explanation throughout his political career.
A Deliberate Step Away from a Troubled Legacy
In a decisive move, Mr Uunona has now formally removed the middle name 'Hitler' from his official identity documents. He will now be known legally as Adolf Uunona.
Speaking to The Namibian newspaper shortly before the 2025 election, the politician expressed his desire to be referred to by his new name, acknowledging that the previous nomenclature was creating an unnecessary image problem. He stated firmly: "My name is not Adolf Hitler. I am Adolf Uunona. In the past, people have called me Adolf Hitler and tried to associate me with someone I don't even know."
Colonial History and a Father's Unfortunate Choice
The presence of Germanic names in Namibia stems directly from its history as a German colony between 1884 and 1915. Mr Uunona has previously explained that his father named him without fully comprehending the historical weight the name carried.
Following a previous election victory in 2020, he told the German publication Bild that he has nothing to do with Nazi ideology. He reflected on his childhood perception of the name, noting: "As a child I saw it as a totally normal name. It wasn't until I was growing up that I realised: This man wanted to subjugate the whole world. I have nothing to do with any of these things."
A respected figure in his community and an anti-apartheid campaigner, Adolf Uunona's political success has never been hampered by his controversial name. However, his recent decision marks a clear effort to define his own legacy, separate from a historical figure he has spent a lifetime explaining he has no connection to.
