Namibia Inaugurates First Woman President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Amid Challenges and Promise
Namibia will mark a historic moment on Friday as Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is sworn in as the country’s first female president. At 72, Nandi-Ndaitwah won last year’s elections, securing 58% of the vote and solidifying the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party’s continued control over the country, which it has led for 35 years since Namibia’s independence in 1990.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, widely known by her initials, NNN, has long been a steadfast member of SWAPO. Previously serving as vice president, she has become one of Southern Africa’s few women in leadership roles, with her inauguration being attended by heads of state from neighboring countries, including Angola and South Africa. She takes office at a pivotal time for Namibia, a sparsely populated, uranium-rich country that has long faced economic hurdles.
While she secured a strong mandate in the election, the process was marred by delays and logistical failures, and opposition parties, like the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), mounted a spirited challenge, garnering 25.5% of the vote. One of the most pressing issues in the election was the high level of unemployment, particularly among the young population. Nearly 44% of Namibians aged 18 to 34 were unemployed as of 2023 in a nation of just three million people.
In an interview ahead of her inauguration, Nandi-Ndaitwah committed to tackling the unemployment crisis head-on. She promised to create at least 500,000 jobs in the next five years, calling for an investment of 85 billion Namibian dollars (approximately $4.67 billion). Key sectors she aims to target for job creation include agriculture, fishing, and the creative and sports industries.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s leadership style emphasizes unity. Despite political divisions that surfaced during the election, including a failed attempt by the IPC to annul the results, she has called for cooperation in the nation’s future. “We can make our politics during the campaign, but once it’s over, we must build Namibia together,” she remarked, stressing the need for national solidarity.
Her victory also represents a milestone in gender equality, with Nandi-Ndaitwah breaking through a significant barrier in Namibia’s political landscape. “It’s a good thing that we are breaking the ceiling, we are breaking the walls,” she said in reference to becoming the country’s first female president.
A daughter of an Anglican pastor, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s rise has been rooted in conservative values. She has taken a firm stance against abortion, which is banned in Namibia except in exceptional circumstances, and same-sex marriage, which remains illegal in the country.
Her ties to SWAPO go back to her youth, and she was exiled in Moscow during Namibia’s liberation struggle against apartheid South Africa. From 2012 to 2024, Nandi-Ndaitwah served as foreign minister, where she also praised Namibia’s “good historical relations” with North Korea.
Namibia’s natural wealth, including being one of the world’s top uranium producers and a significant supplier of diamonds, holds the potential to boost the country’s economy further. There are also hopes that the country’s rich resources of solar, wind, and potentially natural gas could play a pivotal role in its future growth. However, Nandi-Ndaitwah has expressed reservations about the viability of the renewable energy sector, casting doubt on how quickly Namibia could transition to alternative energy sources.
With a leadership built on decades of experience, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s tenure will undoubtedly shape Namibia’s future. As the first woman to hold the office, she brings both historic significance and a promising vision for a more united and economically prosperous nation.
