Namibia's 'Adolf Hitler' shoots to fame after winning local election

While many Namibians have names originating from the ex-colonial power Germany, a newly-elected municipal councillor has overnight romped to prominence, not because of his victory but because he is called Adolf Hitler.

Adolf Hitler Uunona, 54, a politician of the ruling SWAPO party was last week elected local government councillor for Ompundja constituency in northern Namibia, with 85 percent of the ballots cast.

Annoyed Uunona told AFP news agency on Thursday he was perplexed that people were intrigued by his being named after one of the world's most notorious dictators.

He refused to discuss the reasons he was named Adolf Hitler.

"I am not going to entertain the conversation, there is no reason we should be sitting here, having an entire conversation about my name," he retorted.

"You really want us to have an entire conversation about my name? How will that make Namibia a better country, how will it contribute to the development of our country?" Uunona asked when contacted by an AFP journalist.

However, he told German newspaper Bild that he had "nothing to do" with Nazi ideology.

First genocide of 20th century

Germany colonised Namibia – then South West Africa – from 1884 to 1915.

After World War I, the League of Nations mandated South Africa to administer the territory as a protectorate which ruled for 75 years.

German occupiers in Namibia killed tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people in massacres from 1904 to 1908, which historians have called the first genocide of the 20th century.