Petrus Iilonga

Petrus Iilonga (8 January 1947 – 11 December 2018) was a Namibian politician, trade union leader and a political prisoner in Robben Island. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Iilonga served as deputy minister in various ministries and was a member of the party's central committee.

Early life and military career Iilonga was born in Etilyasa, a settlement near Ongandjera in the Omusati Region. He attended primary school there and originally became a farm worker (from 1966).

Trade unionism After his release, Iilonga began mobilizing workers under the National Union of Namibian Workers. Iilonga served as secretary general of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) from 1988 to 2000.

Political career

In 1995, Iilonga became a member of the National Assembly, a position he held until his death in 2018. In 1996, Iilonga received Namibia's Omugulugwombashe Medal for bravery and long service. Iilonga was appointed deputy minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry in 2010. He held that position until 4 December 2012 when he was appointed deputy minister of Defence.

In the 2014 election he was not reelected to Parliament but kept his seat in the central committee. In November 2017 Iilonga missed out on election to the central committee of SWAPO. Iilonga resided in Windhoek and was famous for his "Che Guevara-style" beret and frequent phone-ins to Namibian Broadcasting Corporation radio programmes.