Adolf Hitler Uunona, a Namibian politician whose name has drawn international attention, is on track to win re-election on Wednesday for a second term as regional councillor in northern Namibia, JNS reports.
Uunona previously secured his Ompundja constituency with 85% of the vote in 2020.
Uunona’s unusual name first made headlines when he won his seat five years ago. Speaking to The Namibian at the time, he emphasized that the name carries no connection to the ideology or actions of the Nazi leader.
“It does not mean I have Adolf Hitler’s character,” he said, stressing that he rejects everything associated with Adolf Hitler.
Uunona, a member of the left-wing South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), told German outlet Bild that his father “probably didn’t understand what Adolf Hitler stood for” and that he would not change his name. “It’s in all official documents,” he explained. “It’s too late for that.”
Social media reactions to the politician have ranged from comedic to antisemitic. One user on X wrote, “Adolf has changed since WWII,” while another commented, “Man, my hopes were so high for a second.”
The German influence on personal names in Namibia dates back to the period when the territory, then known as German South West Africa, was under imperial rule from 1884 to 1915. Elements of German cultural presence persisted long after World War II.