Piet van der Walt

Van der Walt grew up in Okahandja and went to primary school there. His secondary school was the Higher Technical School in Windhoek. He became a diesel mechanic by profession, graduating in 1989 from the Windhoek Technical College. He also holds an engineering diploma in mechanical drawing and machines and properties of metals.^[1]

Commenting on his alleged service for Koevoet, the counter-insurgency branch of the South West African Police (SWAPOL) before Namibian independence, he stated that his short stint in Oshakati in the north of Namibia was merely to serve in the auxiliary service as mechanic.^[2]

From 1990 he worked for Old Mutual in Windhoek. In 1999 he started Van der Walt Motors, a service station with surrounding shops near Windhoek's city centre.^[2]

A White Afrikaner Namibian, van der Walt began associating with SWAPO in a business capacity following independence in 1990. He was placed on the parliamentary list for SWAPO at number 42 prior to the 2009 National Assembly election and subsequently elected. He was associated with the SWAPO Youth League.^[2]

He retained his parliamentary seat in the 2014 general elections and was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister for Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development.^[1] After a Cabinet reshuffle in February 2018 he swapped positions with Lucia Iipumbu and is since then Deputy Minister of National Planning.^[3]