Elma Jane Dienda (born 16 November 1964 in

Upington, Northern Cape Upington ( Nama: //Khara hais) is a town founded in 1873 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was originally called Olijvenhoutsdrift ('Olive wood drift'), due to the abundance of ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) is a

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

n politician and teacher. Currently a member

Democratic Turnhalle Alliance The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), formerly the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), is an amalgamation of political parties in Namibia, registered as one singular party for representation purposes. In coalition with the United Democratic ...

which she joined four years after her resignation from the CoD, Dienda was a member of the

National Assembly of Namibia The National Assembly is the lower chamber of Namibia's bicameral Parliament. Its laws must be approved by the National Council, the upper house. Since 2014, it has a total of 104 members. 96 members are directly elected through a system of close ...

from taking CoD's final spot in 2004 until CoD did not receive enough votes for her re-election in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

. She is of South African and

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

an descent.

Career

Dienda is a teacher by profession, having earned an education diploma at the

Windhoek College of Education The Windhoek College of Education (now known as the University of Namibia Khomasdal campus) is public university in Khomasdal, Windhoek, Namibia. It opened in 1978 and is one of four national colleges of education. Notable alumni * Christine ǁHoeb ...

and worked at Eldorado High School in

Khomasdal Khomasdal is a suburb of Namibia's capital of Windhoek in the Khomas Region. Founded as Windhoek's residential area for Coloured people, Khomasdal still is primarily composed of Coloured people. In October 2006, the City of Windhoek announce ...

. She also has a paralegal diploma from the Legal Assistance Centre. She received training as a counselor at Catholic AIDS Action.

Political positions

Dienda joined the Congress of Democrats in 1999, the year of its foundation. She also held the position of the secretary of the Women Democrats Party. In 2007, she opposed the election of

Ben Ulenga Benjamin Ulenga (born Benjamin Uulenga Uulenga on June 22, 1952

as party president. Dienda led a drive in the National Assembly which called for the distribution of condoms to prison inmates as a means of preventing the spread of

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

. Dienda and other opposition politicians were shouted down, with

Utoni Nujoma Utoni Daniel Nujoma (born 8 September 1952) is a Namibian politician who serves as Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation since March 2020. He has served in various government ministerial positions in the government s ...

and

Petrus Iilonga Petrus Iilonga (8 January 1947 – 11 December 2018) was a Namibian politician as well as a trade union leader and political prisoner in Robben Island. A member of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Iilonga served as Deputy Minis ...

vocally opposing the idea. Several SWAPO members denied that sexual activities ever occurred in prisons. The PDM legislator said she does not support husbands and wives claiming rape in marriage. Dienda was responding to a point raised by the minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security

Albert Kawana Albert Kawana (born 26 March 1956) is a Namibian politician. A member of SWAPO, Kawana has been a member of the National Assembly and cabinet since 2000, serving in various positions. Since April 2021 he is minister of Home Affairs, Immigrat ...

, who asked whether there would be a conviction if boyfriends and girlfriends, or husbands and wives, claim rape when there is no semen and bodily fluids as part of the court evidence, during a parliament session in April 2022.

References

1964 births Living people People from Upington Congress of Democrats politicians Members of the National Assembly (Namibia) Namibian people of Malawian descent Namibian people of South African descent 21st-century Namibian women politicians 21st-century Namibian politicians Women members of the National Assembly (Namibia) Windhoek College of Education alumni {{Namibia-politician-stub