Secretary for Defence and Security

Cde. Erkki Nghimtina (Head)

Erkki Nghimtina (born 16 September 1947) is a Namibian politician and former military officer in the Namibia Defence Force (NDF). A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Nghimtina served as member of the National Assembly of Namibia from 1995 to 2020. He served in various cabinet roles from 2005 to 2020. Erkki Nghimtina was born in Eembidi in Ovamboland (now Ohangwena Region) in September 1947 to Meriam Shopati and Johannes Nghimtina. He began working in 1970 as a clerk in Oshakati and from 1972–74 in the postal services of South West Africa.

Nghimtina went into exile with SWAPO in 1974 to Oshatotwa, Zambia. From Zambia, he left to the Soviet Union, where he trained as a military radio specialist until 1976. Returning to Zambia, Nghimtina became instructor and later supervisor for the eastern front of the Namibian War of Independence until 1979. From 1979–1982, the Eembidi native was the Director of Communications at Shilumbaba in Zambia while earning a diploma from the University of Rostock in the German Democratic Republic. From 1983–1989, he was the director of communications for the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) wing of SWAPO. Nghimtina returned to Namibia for the first time in 15 years in 1989. 

Cde. Paula Kooper (Deputy)