A name controversy in northern Namibia has drawn global attention as Adolf Hitler Uunona, a local politician running for reelection, is projected to retain his council seat by a wide margin. The controversy centers on the candidate’s birth name, which he says reflects no ideological ties despite its association with the Nazi dictator.
Uunona, a longtime member of Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party, is seeking another term in the Ompundja constituency in the Oshana region. His party has governed the country since its 1990 independence and now operates on a more centrist, market-oriented platform. International outlets report that Uunona—who has consistently won past elections—is once again expected to secure victory comfortably. He told the German outlet Bild that his father gave him the name without understanding its historical weight. “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.”
Uunona emphasized that he holds no extremist views and prefers to go by Adolf Uunona in daily life. “The fact I have this name does not mean I want to conquer Oshana,” he said. His comments reflect the broader cultural backdrop of Namibia’s German colonial era, which left a legacy of Germanic names across certain regions.
The Ompundja constituency, according to official Oshana regional government information, includes 4,659 residents and spans 466 square kilometers with 19 administrative centers. Local observers note that unusual colonial-era names occasionally surface in modern civic life, but voters appear focused on governance, not nomenclature, as the regional election concludes.
