A Nambian politician formerly known as Adolf Hitler Uunona has changed his name, deleting “Hitler” from his official documents, a local media outlet has reported.
“My name is not Adolf Hitler, I am Adolf Uunona. I have seen in the past people calling me Adolf Hitler and trying to associate me with someone I do not even know,” he told newspaper The Namibian in remarks published on Thursday.
Uunona, a local politician in Ompundja in the Oshana Region in the north of the country, has in the past drawn international attention on account of his name.
He told the Namibian that he had firmly distanced himself from Nazi ideology and that his father chose the name without understanding its historical significance.
Namibia was a German colony for several decades around the turn of the 20th century, before Adolf Hitler rose to power in Berlin.
Uunona stood for re-election in Oshana. The Namibian reported that he had held his council seat since 2004, winning previous elections with a significant majority.
Uunona, a member of the ruling SWAPO party, is known for his work in local affairs in the region, his accessibility and his infrastructure initiatives.
Voters in the region said his name was not significant and that he was judged on his performance.
