Summary
Margaret Natalie Mensah-Williams (born 25 December 1961) is a Namibian politician, diplomat, and prominent SWAPO member. She currently[update] serves as Namibia's ambassador to the United States.
Margaret Mensah-Williams MP | |
|---|---|
 Mensah-Williams in 2017 | |
| Namibian ambassador to the United States | |
| Assumed office December 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Monica Nashandi |
| Chairperson of the National Council | |
| In office 8 December 2015 – 9 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Asser Kuveri Kapere |
| Succeeded by | Bernard Sibalatani |
| Regional Councillor for the Khomasdal Constituency | |
| In office 1998–2019 | |
| Preceded by | Karel Persendt |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Angolo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Margaret Natalie Mensah 25 December 1961 Mariental, South West Africa (now Namibia) |
| Nationality | Namibian |
| Political party | 
SWAPO |
| Residence(s) | 1605 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | Eastern and Southern African Management Institute |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Profession | Politician Diplomat |
| Committees | Chairperson of the National Council Standing Committee on Women Caucus |
Mensah-Williams also served as a councillor of Windhoek's Khomasdal North constituency from 1998 until 2019, and from this position was elected to represent Khomas Region in the National Council, the upper house of the Namibian Parliament from 2015 to 2019. In the National Council she was elected deputy chairperson in 1998, and chairperson in 2015. She resigned from all regional representative positions prior to the 2019 Namibian general election in order to contest for a seat in the National Assembly, Namibia's lower house, and subsequently became a member of Parliament.
Early life and education edit
Mensah-Williams was born in Mariental in central South West Africa (now Namibia). She attended school at Keetmanshoop. She obtained a teaching diploma from Dower College, South Africa, in 1983, a diploma in Housing and Community Development from the University of Cape Town in 1985, a diploma in Negotiation Skills from the Institute of Management and Leadership Training in Windhoek in 1992, and a further diploma in Management and Leadership from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute in Arusha, Tanzania, in 1993.[1] She also holds a Master of Business Administration.[2]
Mensah-Williams ventured into politics during her time as a student at the University of Cape Town where she was involved in organising protest marches against the apartheid regime both in her native Namibia and in South Africa.[3] After university, she began her career as a teacher and later on worked in civil society.[1]
Political career edit
In the 1998 regional elections, Mensah-Williams became a councillor of Khomasdal North on a SWAPO ticket.[1][3] She was subsequently selected to represent Khomas Region in the National Council, and in 1999 she became its vice-chairperson (Deputy Speaker), the first woman to be elected to a major decision-making position in Namibia.[4]
Mensah-Williams was re-elected as councillor for Khomasdal North in 2004, 2010, and 2015.[5] She also continued to serve in the National Council and was elected chairperson in 2015.
Until March 2018,[6] Mensah-Williams served for two consecutive terms as a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Executive Committee and served the same body as the President of the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians for two terms. Furthermore, she was elected vice-chairperson of the IPU Working Group on Syria during the 137th IPU Assembly in Russia.
She resigned from all regional representative positions prior to the 2019 Namibian general election in order to contest for a seat in the National Assembly, Namibia's lower house,[7] and subsequently became a member of Parliament, and later resigned as a member of the National Assembly (01-12-2023).[8][9] In December 2020 she was appointed Namibia's ambassador to the United States.[10]
Mensah-Williams is a member of both the politburo and the central committee of the SWAPO Party. She is married with three children.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c Hopwood, Graham (2011-06-11). "Mensah-Williams, Margreth Natalia (Maggie) - Swapo". Who's Who - Guide to Namibian Politics. Namibia Institute For Democracy (NID). Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
- ^ "Speakers". International Law Conference on Women and Children. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
- ^ a b c "Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Parliament of Namibia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ Matundu-Tjiparuro, Mae (28 February 2011). "Khomas Region, a constitutional, political and geographical hybrid". Focus on: Khomas Region. supplement to New Era. p. 3.
- ^ "Regional Council Election Results 2015". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 3 December 2015. p. 9. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
- ^ "National Assembly upsets National Council | Namibian Sun". 2015-05-18. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "By-elections set for January". The Namibian. 18 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Members of the 7th National Assembly". New Era. 23 March 2020. p. 1.
- ^ "Members of 7th National Assembly". Namibian Parliament. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
- ^ Tjitemisa, Kuzeeko (11 December 2020). "Geingob reshuffles diplomatic pack". New Era.