# Niko Bessinger
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{{Short description|Namibian politician (1948–2008)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific_prefix = {{small|[The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable)}}
|name = Niko Bessinger
|caption =
|order =
|office = [Minister of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism](/source/Ministry_of_Environment_and_Tourism_(Namibia))
|term_start = 21 March 1990
|term_end = 20 March 1995
|predecessor = ''position established''
|successor = [Gert Hanekom](/source/Gert_Hanekom)
|birth_date = {{birth date|1948|06|12|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [Walvis Bay](/source/Walvis_Bay), [South West Africa](/source/South_West_Africa)
|death_date = {{death date and age|2008|03|25|1948|06|12|df=yes}}
|death_place = [Khomasdal](/source/Khomasdal), [Windhoek](/source/Windhoek)
|party = [SWAPO](/source/SWAPO)
|spouse = Hermine Bessinger, née [Bertolini](/source/Bertolini)
|relations =
|children = Dietrich Bessinger, Anthony Bessinger, Hatani Bertolini, Kakuna Calista Karuaihe, Xavier Karuaihe
|alma_mater =
|occupation = Architect
|profession =
|signature =
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Nikolaus Onverwag 'Niko' Bessinger''' (12 June 1948 – 25 March 2008) was a [Namibia](/source/Namibia)n politician and independence activist.
Bessinger was born on 12 June 1948 in [Walvis Bay](/source/Walvis_Bay), [South West Africa](/source/South_West_Africa). Born into the Goreseb clan which is closely related to the Goreseb Royal House. He attended St. Bonifacius Roman Catholic Primary School in Windhoek, [Augustineum Secondary School](/source/Augustineum_Secondary_School) in Okahandja and matriculated at [Athlone High School](/source/Athlone_High_School) in [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town) in 1966. He then studied [architecture](/source/architecture) at the [University of Cape Town](/source/University_of_Cape_Town) from 1969 to 1972 before receiving a [Fulbright scholarship](/source/Fulbright_Program) to study at the [University of Detroit](/source/University_of_Detroit) in the [United States](/source/United_States). He received the National Dean's List Award in 1979 and 1980. Bessinger graduated with a B.Sc. (Architecture) in 1980 and a B.Arch. in 1981 before being registered as an Architect in Namibia in 1983 (Member of the Namibia Institute of Architects and the Namibia Council of Architects and Quantity Surveyors). In Namibia he joined ''Kerry McNamara and Associates'' as partner, a move that cost his senior partner [Kerry McNamara](/source/Kerry_McNamara), a [White Namibian](/source/White_Namibian), several contracts from the state and from private individuals.[Christof Maletzky (26 March 2008): [https://www.namibian.com.na/niko-bessinger-passes-away/ Niko Bessinger passes away] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190307174027/https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=46715&page=archive-read |date=2019-03-07 }} [The Namibian](/source/The_Namibian)][{{Cite news | title=Tribute to Kerry McNamara | last=Smuts | first=Dave | newspaper= [The Namibian](/source/The_Namibian) | date=19 January 2017 | page=7 | url=http://www.namibian.com.na/50133/read/Tribute-to-Kerry-McNamara}}]
Bessinger joined [SWAPO](/source/SWAPO) in 1972 and became treasurer of the [Windhoek](/source/Windhoek) office in 1976. He became national treasurer a year later. He was the joint secretary for foreign affairs on the SWAPO national executive within Namibia from 1981 until 1989. He also served as the designated principal liaison officer with [UNTAG](/source/UNTAG) until the return of the external leadership in 1989. During this time, he was arrested several times by South African authorities. On 11.09.1987 Judge J Bethune ordered the release of a number of SWAPO activists (Hendrik Witbooi, Danny Tjongarero, Niko Bessinger, Anton Lubowski, John Pandeni and Ben Ulenga) who were detained by the South African Authorities in terms of the [Terrorism Act, 1967](/source/Terrorism_Act%2C_1967).
Upon independence in 1990, he was elected to the [National Assembly](/source/Members_of_the_1st_National_Assembly_of_Namibia) and on 21.03.1990 was appointed by president [Sam Nujoma](/source/Sam_Nujoma) as the first [Minister of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism](/source/Ministry_of_Environment_and_Tourism_(Namibia)), a position he held until 20 March 1995. He was elected to the [National Assembly](/source/Members_of_the_2nd_National_Assembly_of_Namibia) again in [1994](/source/1994_Namibian_general_election) before resigning in 1996, when he was replaced by [Marlene Mungunda](/source/Marlene_Mungunda). He remained on the SWAPO Party [central committee](/source/central_committee) until 2007.
Bessinger died of a heart attack on 25 March 2008 at his home in the [Khomasdal](/source/Khomasdal) suburb of Windhoek. At the time of his death, he was a diabetic and had cancer.[ President [Hifikepunye Pohamba](/source/Hifikepunye_Pohamba) on 30 March 2008 conferred the honour of national hero to him.][{{Cite web | title=NamLex Index to the Laws of Namibia | publisher=Legal Assistance Centre | year=2010 | page=122 | accessdate=4 February 2017 | url=http://www.lac.org.na/laws/pdf/namlex2010.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329061129/http://www.lac.org.na/laws/pdf/namlex2010.pdf | archive-date=29 March 2017 | url-status=dead }}] He was buried next to his mother's grave, Calista Bessinger, at the [Khomasdal cemetery](/source/List_of_cemeteries_in_Windhoek) in Windhoek. Niko Bessinger was married to Hermine Bessinger, née Bertolini, and is survived by his children, Dietrich Bessinger, Anthony Bessinger, Hatani Bertolini, Kakuna Calista Karuaihe, Xavier Bessinger and 5 grandchildren.
==References==
{{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bessinger, Niko}}
Category:1948 births
Category:2008 deaths
Category:People from Walvis Bay
Category:Politicians from Windhoek
Category:Namibian architects
Category:Environment and tourism ministers of Namibia
Category:Members of the National Assembly (Namibia)
Category:Namibian expatriates in South Africa
Category:Namibian expatriates in the United States
Category:SWAPO politicians
Category:University of Cape Town alumni
Category:University of Detroit Mercy alumni
Category:Augustineum Secondary School alumni
Category:National heroes of Namibia
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Niko Bessinger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niko_Bessinger) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niko_Bessinger?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.