{{Short description|Namibian politician and paramount chief (1954–2021)}} {{EngvarB|date=May 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Vekuii Rukoro | office = Attorney General of Namibia | term_start = 1995 | term_end = March 2000 | president = Sam Nujoma | predecessor = {{ill|Hartmut Ruppel|de}} | successor = Ngarikutuke Tjiriange | office1 = Member of the National Assembly | term_start1 = 11 November 1989 | term_end1 = 2000 | constituency1 = Namibia National Front | birth_date = {{birth date|1954|11|11|df=yes}} | birth_place = Otjiwarongo, South West Africa | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|6|18|1954|11|11|df=yes}} | death_place = Windhoek, Namibia | death_cause = COVID-19 | party = {{plainlist| * SWANU (1975–1978, {{circa|1984}}–c. 1995) * SWANU-P (1978–c. 1984) * SWAPO (from c. 1995) }} | alma_mater = {{plainlist| * University of Warwick (LLB, 1983) * Washington College of Law (LLM, 1987) }} | module = {{Infobox royalty | embed = yes | succession = Paramount chief of the Herero | reign = September 2014 – 18 June 2021 | predecessor = Kuaima Riruako | successor = Vipuira Kapuuo }} }} '''Vekuii Reinhard Rukoro''' (11 November 1954 – 18 June 2021) was a Namibian politician and paramount chief of the Herero people.<ref>''30 August 2018 – Nachrichten am Morgen''. Hitradio Namibia, 30 August 2018.</ref> He was also Attorney General of Namibia from 1995 to 2000 and a member of the National Assembly from 1989 to 2000.
==Early life and education== Rukoro was born on 11 November 1954, in Otjiwarongo. He attended primary school in Swakopmund and Karibib, and secondary school at Döbra. In 1980 he started tertiary education and obtained an LLB (Honours) degree from the University of Warwick (Coventry, England) in 1983, and an LLM degree from the Washington College of Law (Washington, D.C., United States) in 1987.<ref name="KDR">{{cite web |url=http://www.klausdierks.com/Biographies/Biographies_R.htm |title=Biographies of Namibian Personalities, R |last=Dierks |first=Klaus |author-link=Klaus Dierks |publisher=klausdierks.com |access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref>
==Career== Rukoro joined the South West Africa National Union (SWANU) in 1975 and became its secretary-general but left with a group of dissidents in 1978 to form the South West Africa National Union Progressives (SWANU-P). He returned to SWANU, again became secretary-general in 1984, and the party's president in 1989.{{sfn|Torreguitar|2009|p=397}}
SWANU, like SWANU-P, merged into the Namibia National Front (NNF) prior to the 1989 elections that preceded Namibia's independence. Rukoro became president of the NNF and took the only seat gained by the party. He thus became a member of the Constituent Assembly of Namibia where he was one of the main drafters of the Constitution of Namibia.<ref name="KDR"/>{{sfn|Tonchi|Lindeke|Grotpeter|2012|p=397}}
After Namibian independence in 1990 Rukoro was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice. He served until 1995 when, by then a member of SWAPO, he occupied the position of attorney-general. He entered a business career in 2000 as Managing Director of Sanlam Namibia, chairman of Air Namibia,<ref name="KDR"/> and CEO of First National Bank (2006–2013) and thereafter served as CEO of Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Adv. Rukoro to head Meatco |last=Khobetsi |first=Lorato |date=8 February 2013 |newspaper=Namibia Economist |url=http://www.economist.com.na/markets/2618-adv-rukoro-to-head-meatco |access-date=30 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006073501/http://www.economist.com.na/markets/2618-adv-rukoro-to-head-meatco |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==OvaHerero chieftainship== After the June 2014 death of Kuaima Riruako left the position of the paramount chieftaincy of the OvaHerero people vacant, Fanuel Tumbee Tjombe briefly served as the acting chief. He died weeks after taking the position. In September 2014, Rukoro was appointed paramount chief. In his acceptance speech he reportedly "had to fight back tears".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rukoro elected OvaHerero chief |newspaper=The Namibian |publisher=NAMPA |date=23 September 2014 |url=http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=18010 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |access-date=30 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006083526/http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=18010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Death== He died on 18 June 2021 at the age of 66 from the consequences of a COVID-19 infection in Windhoek during the COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia.<ref name=DW>[https://www.dw.com/en/namibia-herero-chief-vekuii-rukoro-dies-after-covid-diagnosis/a-57954188 Namibia: Herero Chief Vekuii Rukoro dies after COVID diagnosis] - website of international public broadcaster Deutsche Welle</ref>
==References==
===Notes=== {{Reflist|30em}}
===Literature=== * {{cite book |last1=Tonchi |first1=Victor L |last2=Lindeke |first2=William A |last3=Grotpeter |first3=John J |title=Historical Dictionary of Namibia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mls4H1mnN_0C |edition=2 |series=Historical Dictionaries of Africa, African historical dictionaries |year=2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810879904 }} * {{cite book |last=Torreguitar |first=Elena |title=National Liberation Movements in Office: Forging Democracy with African Adjectives in Namibia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH2RNl42kIMC |series=European University Studies; Political Science |volume=567 |year=2009 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-3631579954 }}
{{s-start}} {{succession box|title=Paramount Chief of the Herero people|years=2014–2021|before=Kuaima Riruako|after=Vacant}} {{s-end}} {{Herero Paramount Chiefs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rukoro, Vekuii}} Category:1954 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Members of the National Assembly (Namibia) Category:Herero people Category:Politicians from Otjozondjupa Region Category:SWANU politicians Category:SWAPO politicians Category:Alumni of the University of Warwick Category:American University Washington College of Law alumni Category:Attorneys-general of Namibia Category:Namibian chiefs Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia