Bishop James Kauluma passes away

A RETIRED Bishop of the Anglican Church in Namibia, James Hamupanda Kauluma, died in MediClinic Hospital in Windhoek yesterday morning.

Bishop Nathaniel Ndahuma Nakwatumba, the Bishop of the Anglican Church Diocese in Namibia, told The Namibian yesterday that the late Kauluma had spent three weeks in hospital. He died after suffering from prostate cancer for years.Bishop Nakwatumba said the late Kauluma was the longest serving Anglican Bishop in Namibia, served the church during the crucial time of the liberation struggle and worked hard to keep the church united.”God gave him to us at the right time.But now he has passed away and we just have to accept it,” the Bishop told The Namibian.The late Bishop James Kauluma.Nakwatumba was made Bishop of the Anglican Church in Namibia on March 25 last year after Bishop Shihala Hamupembe retired.Kanana Hishoono, cousin of the late Kauluma, said funeral arrangements would be announced at a later stage.”What we know now is that he will be buried at home, in the North,” Hishoono said.He said the late Kauluma was staying at Kanana’s house, preparing to go and live in the North, when sickness overpowered him.”He was a prominent member of society and also of Swapo,” Hishoono said.He recalled how Swapo, before Independence, used to send money from Luanda in Angola to Shapua Kaukungwa in London before it was transferred into Kauluma’s account for distribution.”We used to call him ‘the chain’,” he said.Kauluma leaves behind his wife, Sally Kauluma, and her two daughters, Nangula and Nangando.He was born in 1932 and was the first indigenous Bishop of the Anglican Church in Namibia – one of the dioceses of the Province of South Africa.He studied for 12 years outside Namibia, from 1965 to 1977.In 1977, he received a Masters Degree in Theology in America.After Bishop Wood’s resignation in 1977, Reverend Kauluma was elected suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Damaraland in Windhoek at St George’s.On January 15 1978, he was ordained in Westminster Cathedral, London.In 1979, Bishop Kauluma succeeded Dr Lukas de Vries as Chairman of the Council of Churches in Namibia, and in April 1983, Bishop Kauluma received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from General Theological Seminary, New York.He was the sixth Anglican Bishop of Namibia.He died after suffering from prostate cancer for years.Bishop Nakwatumba said the late Kauluma was the longest serving Anglican Bishop in Namibia, served the church during the crucial time of the liberation struggle and worked hard to keep the church united.”God gave him to us at the right time.But now he has passed away and we just have to accept it,” the Bishop told The Namibian.The late Bishop James Kauluma.Nakwatumba was made Bishop of the Anglican Church in Namibia on March 25 last year after Bishop Shihala Hamupembe retired.Kanana Hishoono, cousin of the late Kauluma, said funeral arrangements would be announced at a later stage.”What we know now is that he will be buried at home, in the North,” Hishoono said.He said the late Kauluma was staying at Kanana’s house, preparing to go and live in the North, when sickness overpowered him.”He was a prominent member of society and also of Swapo,” Hishoono said.He recalled how Swapo, before Independence, used to send money from Luanda in Angola to Shapua Kaukungwa in London before it was transferred into Kauluma’s account for distribution.”We used to call him ‘the chain’,” he said.Kauluma leaves behind his wife, Sally Kauluma, and her two daughters, Nangula and Nangando.He was born in 1932 and was the first indigenous Bishop of the Anglican Church in Namibia – one of the dioceses of the Province of South Africa.He studied for 12 years outside Namibia, from 1965 to 1977.In 1977, he received a Masters Degree in Theology in America.After Bishop Wood’s resignation in 1977, Reverend Kauluma was elected suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Damaraland in Windhoek at St George’s.On January 15 1978, he was ordained in Westminster Cathedral, London.In 1979, Bishop Kauluma succeeded Dr Lukas de Vries as Chairman of the Council of Churches in Namibia, and in April 1983, Bishop Kauluma received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from General Theological Seminary, New York.He was the sixth Anglican Bishop of Namibia.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.