Dirk Mudge dies at 92

VETERAN politician Dirk Mudge succumbed to Covid-19 last night.

According to his son Henk, Mudge died at the Windhoek Mediclinic. He was 92 years old.

“Yes, he died of Covid-19 last night. He had some problems [. . .] he had a lung infection,” his son said.

It is not clear when Mudge would be laid to rest.

“We are waiting for Friday to see what the new regulations are,” Henk said.

Mudge was a member of the Constituent Assembly, which wrote Namibia’s Constitution after the 1989 election that led to the country’s independence, and of Namibia’s first National Assembly until he retired in 1993.

Mudge was a founder of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), the forerunner of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), in 1977 and served as chairman of the party and leader of controversial internal governments through much of the 1980s, before Namibia’s independence.

Mudge was also the founder of Namibia’s Afrikaans newspaper Republikein, and its publisher, Namibia Media Holdings.

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.