Dr. Sakeus Akweenda is a Namibian Legal Practitioner (Advocate) who studied Law at the University of London, United Kingdom, where he obtained LL.B (LSE)., LL.M. (UCL), and PH.D (LSE).
He was admitted as a Legal Practitioner in Namibia in May 1997. He is also known as Sackey. Akweenda started practicing at the Bar in March 2008. Before joining the Bar, Akweenda was a State Law Advisor in the Office of the Attorney General where he served under different ranks including Deputy Chief: Legal Advisor and Under Secretary. (1991 – 2000) and General Manager: Legal and Regulatory at Namibia Power Corporation (Pty) Ltd (2000 – 2007.
He has written many articles on Public International Law published in leading journals such as the British Yearbook of International Law, International and Comparative Law Quarterly and African Yearbook of International and Comparative Law.
Akweenda is the author of International Law and the Protection of Namibia’s Territorial Integrity: Boundaries and Territorial Claims, Kluwer Law International, The Hague/London/Boston, 1997.
Dr. Akweenda has been Advocate/Legal Practitioner of the High Court and Supreme Court of Namibia; Admitted by the High Court of Namibia on 30th May 1997 in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1995 (Act 15 of 1995). Admitted as Member of Society of Advocates of Namibia in March 2008, currently in private practice as an Advocate. Qualified as Court Accredited Mediator on 14th June 2014 and accordingly act as Court Connected Mediator and Private Mediator (thus far he has attended to more than 30 mediations) act as Arbitrator in civil matters.
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
- University of London (London School of Economics and Political Science – LSE); 14th January 1985 – 12th May 1989.
Awarded Ph.D. in Laws on the 21st June 1989.
Ph.D. Thesis
‘International Law and the Protection of Namibia’s Territorial Integrity: Boundaries and Territorial Claims’, 2 Volumes 764 pp, 1989.
Major field of Thesis: Public International Law: All boundaries and territorial claims of Namibia examined. Legal issues include: Treaties and principles on delimitation and demarcation of boundaries (including rivers and maritime boundaries); legal instruments and principles on utilization of shared watercourses particularly Kunene River, Orange River, Chobe River and Zambezi River; principles of State succession in context of Mandated Territory; modes of acquisitions of title to territories; legal effect of Resolutions of Security Council and General Assembly of the United Nations generally and those related to delimitation of boundaries and title to territories; and title to Walvis Bay and Off-shore islands south of Walvis Bay and north of Orange River.
Supervisor of the Thesis: Dame/ Professor/ Judge Rosalyn Higgins (QC) who subsequently served as President of the International Court of Justice.
External Examiner of Thesis: Professor Ian Brownlie (late 2010), (CBE, QC and FBA), leading scholar on Public International Law, from University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
- University of London (University College London), 1982 – 1983.
Awarded LL.M on 16th November 1983.
This was a taught Master, courses being: Air and Space Law, Law of the Sea, Law of International Institutions, and International Law of Natural Resources. Leading professors included Professor Bin Cheng (LL.D), (on Air and Space Law), Professor Rosalyn Higgins(Human Rights) and Professor E.D. Brown on the Law of the Sea.
- University of London (London School of Economics and Political Science), 1979 – 1982.
Awarded LL.B (Hons) on 1st August 1982.
Leading professors included Professor John AG Griffith (who served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester and Michael Zander).
- University of Zululand (South Africa), Law Department
February 1977 – May 1978, B.Proc Student. Left while in 2nd year since the students went on a strike.
- Oshigambo High School, Namibia, 1972 – 1976 [Form I to V – Joint Matriculation Board)
- Primary School, Oniipa, Republic of Namibia
PROFESSIONALTRAINING
- Legal Practice: University of Namibia, Justice Training Centre, February 1995 – November 1995.
Awarded Certificate in Law Practice.
- Treaty drafting course at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (London), May 1987.
- Advanced Advocacy Training, General Council of the Bar of South Africa, Wallenberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 7 – 12 January 2013.
EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
1st August 2000 – 31st May 2007
Namibia Power Corporation (Proprietary) Limited (“NamPower”), designation: General Manager: Regulatory and Legal Business Unit; from July 2004 until May 2007 designation: Legal and Corporate Services Business Unit, acting as chief legal adviser to NamPower and its subsidiaries. Major challenges: Following the creation of Electricity Control Boad (ECB) worked with ECB and consultants to formulate the following Licence Conditions: Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Supply, Import, and Export. Further, involved in creation of Regional Electricity Distributors (REDS) – Nored, Cenored and Erongo Red. Attended to Board issues including Corporate Governance.
1st April 1991 – 31st July 2000
Office of the Attorney-General, who in terms of Article 87(b) of the Namibian Constitution is the principal Legal Advisor to the President and Government, under the following ranks:
- Senior Legal Officer (1st April 1991 – 30th October 1992);
- Chief Legal Officer (1st November 1992 – 31st January 1995);
1st February 1993 – 28th February 1994:
In addition to his functions as Chief Legal Officer, he was appointed as Legal Advisor to the Joint Administrative Authority for Walvis Bay (JAA) and was a Member of the Management Committee of the JAA during this period until Walvis Bay and the Off-shore Islands were reintegrated into Namibia. Attended all the negotiations on the reintegration of Walvis Bay and the Off-shore Islands into Namibia.
- Under-Secretary : Administration (1st February 1995 – 31st March 1996); and
- Deputy Chief : Legal Advice (1st April 1996 – 31st July 2000). From 2nd October 1996 to August 1997, seconded to the Office of the Government-Attorney, the Directorate responsible for civil litigation.
October 1989 – March 1991
Senior Researcher in law at the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), Windhoek
May 1989 – August 1989
Research Officer at Namibia Communications Centre (London, United Kingdom). Assisted in compiling U.N. Documents Relating to Security Council Resolution 435 (1978).
August 1978 – August 1979
Teaching (History and Mathematics) at Oluno Secondary School, Ondangwa, Namibia.
Teaching/Lecturing/Supervising
1994 – 1997: Part-time lecturer at the University of Namibia, SADC Fisheries Management Course on the Law of the Sea and Fisheries Law.
1997 – 2001: Part-time lecturer at the University of Namibia, Faculty of Law, Public International Law.
2004 – 2005: Supervised Master of Laws (LL.M), Theses at University of Namibia.
2007 – 2009: Part-time lecturer at the University of Namibia, Faculty of Law(International Law) and Natural Resource Centre(Law of the Sea and Fisheries Management).