A Namibian politician named Adolf Hitler Uunona is on track to win re-election this week for his second term as a regional councillor in northern Namibia, where he previously won his Ompundja constituency with 85% of the vote in 2020. The new election is set for Nov. 26.
Uunona’s unusual name has drawn international attention, particularly when he first won his seat. Speaking to local outlet _The Namibian_ at the time, he said that the name bears 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.
Reactions on social media range from comedic to antisemitic. “Adolf has changed since WWII,” one X user replied to the story. “Man, my hopes were so high for a second,” wrote another.
German influence on personal names in Namibia traces back to when the territory known then as German South West Africa was under imperial rule from 1884 to 1915. Remnants of German cultural presence persisted long after World War II, with some German-Namibian communities retaining customs by settlers, including by Nazis who fled arrest after the war.
Uunona, a member of the left-wing South West Africa People’s Organization party, told the German news outlet _Bild_ that his father “probably didn’t understand what Adolf Hitler stood for” and that he wouldn’t change his name.
“It’s in all official documents,” he said. “It’s too late for that.”