List of colonial governors of South West Africa
List
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) For continuation after independence, see: President of Namibia

List of colonial governors of South West Africa

Section Title: List
Table Section Text: (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) For continuation after independence, see: President of Namibia

Tenure	Portrait	Incumbent	Notes

German South West Africa

Agent of Adolf Lüderitz purchases Angra Pequena (Lüderitz Bay), taking possession on 12 May 1883

9 April 1883 to 12 May 1883	Heinrich Vogelsang, acting Magistrate

12 May 1883 to 24 April 1884	-	Adolf Lüderitz, Magistrate

German South West Africa Protectorate

24 April 1884 to 7 October 1884	-	Adolf Lüderitz, Magistrate

7 October 1884 to May 1885	-	Gustav Nachtigal, Reichskommissar	Imperial commissioner

May 1885 to August 1890	-	Heinrich Ernst Göring, acting Reichskommissar	acting Imperial commissioner; father of Hermann Göring

August 1890 to March 1891	Louis Nels, acting Reichskommissar	acting Imperial commissioner

March 1891 to 14 September 1892	-	Curt von François, Reichskommissar	Imperial commissioner

German South West Africa Crown Colony

14 September 1892 to November 1893	-	Curt von François, Reichskommissar	Imperial commissioner

November 1893 to 15 March 1894	Curt von François, Landeshauptleute	Administrator

15 March 1894 to 18 April 1898	-	Theodor Leutwein, Landeshauptleute	Administrator, acting to 27 June 1895

18 April 1898 to 19 August 1905	Theodor Leutwein, Governor

19 August 1905 to November 1905	-	Adrian Dietrich Lothar von Trotha, acting Governor	Most remembered for his role in the Herero Wars, particularly in the Herero and Namaqua genocide

November 1905 to 20 May 1907	-	Friedrich von Lindequist, Governor

20 May 1907 to 20 June 1910	-	Bruno von Schuckmann, Governor

28 August 1910 to 9 July 1915	-	Theodor Seitz, Governor

South West Africa

Occupation by South Africa

9 July 1915 to 11 July 1915	-	Louis Botha, Military Governor	Simultaneously served as Prime Minister of South Africa

11 July 1915 to 30 October 1915	Percival Scott Beves, Military Governor

31 October 1915 to 1 October 1920	Sir Edmond Howard Lacam Gorges, Administrator

1 October 1920 to 17 December 1920	Gysbert Reitz Hofmeyr, Administrator

League of Nations mandate (administered by South Africa)

17 December 1920 to 1 April 1926	Gysbert Reitz Hofmeyr, Administrator

1 April 1926 to 1 April 1933	Albertus Johannes Werth, Administrator

1 April 1933 to 1 April 1943	David Gideon Conradie, Administrator

1 April 1943 to 6 December 1951	Petrus Imker Hoogenhout, Administrator

11 December 1946	South Africa rejects a United Nations Trust Territory status for South West Africa

6 December 1951 to 1 December 1953	Albertus Johannes Roux van Rhijn, Administrator

1 December 1953 to 1 December 1963	Daniel Thomas du Plessis Viljoen, Administrator

24 August 1954	South Africa announces mandate has lapsed and that "the territory and South Africa are one political entity"

1 December 1963 to 1 November 1968	Wentzel Christoffel du Plessis, Administrator

27 October 1966	United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2145 terminates the mandate and puts South West Africa under direct UN responsibility (not recognized by South Africa)

12 June 1968	South West Africa formally renamed Namibia by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2372 (not recognized by South Africa)

1 November 1968 to 1 November 1971	Johannes Gert Hendrik van der Wath, Administrator

30 January 1970	United Nations Security Council Resolution 276 declares South Africa in "illegal occupation" of Namibia

1 November 1971 to 1 September 1977	Barend Johannes van der Walt, Administrator

1 September 1977 to 7 August 1979	Marthinus T. Steyn, Administrator-General

7 August 1979 to 4 September 1980	Gerrit Viljoen, Administrator-General

4 September 1980 to 1 February 1983	Danie Hough, Administrator-General

1 February 1983 to 1 July 1985	Willie van Niekerk, Administrator-General

1 July 1985 to 21 March 1990	Louis Pienaar, Administrator-General

21 March 1990	Independence as Republic of Namibia

Sentence(s)

Willie van Niekerk was Administrator-General of South West Africa from 1983 to 1985.

final_sentence: Willie van Niekerk was Administrator-General of South West Africa from 1983 to 1985.