Yvonne Dausab is a Namibian lawyer and politician who has been the Minister of Justice of Namibia since March 2020.

Yvonne Dausab
Dausab in 2022
Minister of Justice
Assumed office
21 March 2020
PresidentHage Geingob
Preceded bySacky Shanghala
Chairperson of the Law Reform and Development Commission
In office
2015 – 21 March 2020
Preceded bySacky Shanghala
Personal details
Bornc. 1974 (age 49–50)
CitizenshipNamibian
Political partySWAPO
Alma materUniversity of the Western Cape
University of Pretoria
OccupationLawyer

Early life and career

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Dausab grew up in Katutura, a segregated area for Blacks in Windhoek. She completed A Shipena Secondary School as the head girl. Dausab completed secondary school not long after Namibia's independence, and went on to study a BA in Law and LLB at the University of the Western Cape and an LL.M. with a specialization in Human Rights and African Democratisation at the University of Pretoria thanks to various scholarships.[1]

Dausab was admitted as a legal practitioner of the High Court of Namibia in April 2000 at the age of 25.[1] She then worked in human rights at an African NGO based in Lusaka, Zambia for five years before returning to Namibian and joining a private law practice. In 2007, Dausab joined the University of Namibia as a part-time law lecturer. In 2009, she received a faculty position and was later appointed the deputy dean.[1]

Political career

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Dausab left academia in 2015 when she was appointed the chairperson of the Law Reform and Development Commission[2][3] in 2015 by Namibian president Hage Geingob.[4] In March 2020, she was appointed Minister of Justice, replacing Sacky Shanghala.[5]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Goaes, Innocent (2016). "Interview with Ms Yvonne Dausab: chairperson of the law reform and development commission". Sister Namibia. 28 (2). Retrieved 25 March 2020 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
  2. ^ Beukes, Jemima (2015-06-04). "Dausab takes over from Shanghala at LRDC". Namibian Sun. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  3. ^ Smith, Sonja. "Law Reform & Development Commission faces eviction". The Windhoek Observer. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  4. ^ Menges, Werner (4 June 2015). "President appoints new law reform chief". The Namibian. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  5. ^ Nakatana, Festus (2020-03-23). "Geingob drops Cabinet surprises". New Era Live. Retrieved 2020-03-25.