A man named after Adolf Hitler has won a local election in Namibia – but insists he has no plans for world domination.
Uunona Adolf Hitler, 54, was elected as a local politician for the town of Ompundja, in the north of the country, with 85% of the vote.
However, Mr Uunona – as he prefers to be called – says that despite his unfortunate namesake, he has no plans to take over the world.
His unfortunate name was given to him by his father – who didn’t know what Hitler stood for
Speaking to the German news website Bild, he said his father gave him the name without understanding who the Nazi leader was or what he stood for.
Namibia is a former German colony, so it is not unusual for streets, places and people to have German names.
“It was a perfectly normal name for me when I was a kid,” he said. “It wasn’t until I grew older, that I realised that this man wanted to subjugate the whole world and killed millions of Jews.
“The fact I have this name does not mean I want to conquer Oshana (the local region).
“It doesn’t mean I’m striving for world domination.”
When asked why he did not change his name, he said it was too late to do so, adding that he also does not use his full name on social media accounts or in public – only on official documents.
Mr Uunona won his election by 1,196 votes to 213, which handed him a seat on the regional council.
It is not his first foray into politics, and he has been a popular local councillor for some time, as well as being an ardent anti-apartheid activist.