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Al Jazeera
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Namibia's NNN: Reformer or Figurehead?
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made history as Namibia's first female president. But after decades as a senior figure in SWAPO, the governing party since independence, questions remain over whether her leadership signals genuine reform or a last-ditch attempt to revive a party widely seen as in decline. In this Talk to Al Jazeera interview, she speaks about inequality, land ownership, youth unemployment, and gender representation, as well as her role in a movement that fought white minority rule and now faces mounting public mistrust.
Zawya
25-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Namibia's new president vows to diversify economy, tackle joblessness
Namibia's newly elected President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah pledged on Friday, 21 March 2025 to boost investments in the agricultural sector and diversify the resource-focused economy in an attempt to address high unemployment rates Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became Namibia's first female president after her SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3 million people for more than three decades, secured victory in both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November. Namibia has seen relatively strong economic growth in recent years, primarily due to investments in oil, gas and green hydrogen. But World Bank data indicate the southern African nation ranks second highest globally for income inequality. "We are going to increase investments in the agriculture sector to increase output and meet domestic food requirements," Nandi-Ndaitwah said in her inaugural speech after being sworn in as president. She also committed to diversifying the economy, enabling citizens to "derive maximum benefits from our country's natural resources, through value addition". Diversification, she added, would "create jobs to take care of the unemployed, of which the majority are the youth." She also stressed the need for maintaining high ethical standards among public servants and combating corruption. SWAPO's public support has fallen in the last decade due to dissatisfaction with high unemployment, inequality and graft allegations. The party secured 57% of the votes in November's presidential race, compared to 87% in the 2014 election. Nandi-Ndaitwah's inauguration was attended by dignitaries including seven incumbent and nine former African presidents. Last month, Namibia's Supreme Court dismissed a challenge against the presidential election brought by opposition parties, which said the vote was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Times of Oman
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Namibia's first woman president takes office
Windhoek: The 72-year-old Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, nicknamed NNN, was sworn in on Friday as the first woman president of the southern African nation of Namibia. Her SWAPO party, which has ruled the country of about 3 million people for over three decades, won both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November. Nandi-Ndaitwah, who previously served as vice president, won 58% of the vote. Outgoing 83-year-old President Nangolo Mbumba handed over power in a ceremony that coincided with Namibia's 35th anniversary of independence and was moved from the Independence Stadium to State House in Windhoek due to rare heavy rains. Nandi-Ndaitwah is the latest in a small list of women to hold the presidency in Africa. Others include Ellen Sirleaf Johnson in Liberia, Joyce Banda of Malawi, and Samia Suluhu Hassan in Tanzania. Sirleaf and Banda, now former leaders of their countries, and Tanzania's current president, Hassan, all attended Nandi-Ndaitwah's inauguration. Nandi-Ndaitwah's inauguration came a day after the Namibian parliament elected its first female speaker, former Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. What did Nandi-Ndaitwah say? In her first address as president, Nandi-Ndaitwah vowed to focus on reducing youth unemployment and making major investments in green energy, agriculture and infrastructure. "We will increase investment in the development of infrastructure to open investment opportunities, enhance economic productivity, promote economic growth and improve the quality of life of our people," she said. The president also called for the country to implement universal health coverage. She committed to diversifying the economy, enabling citizens to "derive maximum benefits from our country's natural resources, through value addition." The president said Namibia would continue to contribute to efforts to combat climate change, an ongoing threat to the arid country that regularly experiences droughts. Nandi-Ndaitwah also used her speech to express support for the right to self-determination of the Palestinians and the people of Western Sahara and called for the lifting of international sanctions against Cuba, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Veteran politician in young nation Nandi-Ndaitwah is only the fifth president of Namibia, which was a German colony until the end of World War One. She is a veteran of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), which led Namibia to independence in 1990 and has been the ruling party ever since. Namibia's first woman president joined SWAPO as a teenager in the 1960s and lived in exile in Zambia, Tanzania, the former Soviet Union and the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s. She has been a lawmaker in Namibia since 1990 and held several Cabinet posts, including those of environment minister and foreign affairs minister, before being appointed vice president. Nandi-Ndaitwah's husband is a retired general who once commanded Namibia's armed forces and was officially given the title of "first gentleman."
Al Jazeera
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah sworn in as Namibia's first female president
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been sworn in as Namibia's first woman president, after winning elections last year that extended the governing party's 35-year grip on power. Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became one of the few women leaders on the African continent, following a ceremony on Friday attended by heads of state from several African countries including Angola, South Africa and Tanzania. Outgoing President Nangolo Mbumba, 83, handed power to Nandi-Ndaitwah at a ceremony that coincided with the 35th anniversary of Namibia's independence and was moved from the Independence Stadium to State House because of rare heavy rains. Loud applause and ululations erupted as NNN, as Nandi-Ndaitwah is popularly known, took her oath of office. In her inaugural speech, Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged her historic election, but also said that Namibians elected her for her competence and merit. She added that while the country has seen progress since independence, 'there's a lot that needs to be done.' Previously in the post of vice president for a year, she is a veteran of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) that led the sparsely populated and uranium-rich country to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Nandi-Ndaitwah secured 58 percent of the vote in the chaotic November elections, which were extended several times after logistical failures led to major delays. Namibia is witnessing one of its 'foremost daughters breaking through the glass ceiling', outgoing leader Mbumba said. 'It has been a long time coming.' The youthful opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) mounted a strong challenge at last year's election but took only 25.5 percent of the presidential vote, underscoring continued loyalty to SWAPO even as the popularity of other Southern African liberation parties has waned. A key issue at the ballot box was widespread unemployment among the young population, with 44 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds without work in 2023 in a country of just three million people. On the eve of her inauguration, Nandi-Ndaitwah said tackling unemployment was a priority. 'In the next five years we must produce at least 500,000 jobs,' she told South Africa's national broadcaster SABC, adding it would require an investment of 85 billion Namibian dollars ($4.67bn). Key sectors for job creation are agriculture, fishing and the creative and sports industries, she said. She appealed for unity after political divisions surfaced during the elections, which the IPC sought to annul in a failed court action. 'We can make our politics during the campaign and so on but once it's over, we must build Namibia together,' she said.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is sworn in as Namibia's first female leader
WINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) — Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was sworn in as Namibia's first female president on Friday, reaching the highest office in her land nearly 60 years after she joined the liberation movement fighting for independence from apartheid South Africa. The 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah won an election in November to become one of just a handful of female leaders in Africa after the likes of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Joyce Banda of Malawi and Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania. Sirleaf and Banda, now former leaders of their countries, and current Tanzania President Hassan all attended Nandi-Ndaitwah's inauguration. Nandi-Ndaitwah's swearing-in coincided with the 35th anniversary of Namibia's independence, but the ceremony was switched from a soccer stadium where thousands were due to attend to the official presidential office because of heavy rain. The new president made her pledge to defend, uphold and support the constitution in front of other visiting leaders from South Africa, Zambia, Congo, Botswana, Angola and Kenya. Nandi-Ndaitwah succeeds Nangolo Mbumba, who had stood in as Namibia's president since February 2024 following the death in office of President Hage Geingob. Nandi-Ndaitwah was promoted to vice president following Geingob's death. Nandi-Ndaitwah is just the fifth president of Namibia, a sparsely populated nation in southwestern Africa which was a German colony until the end of World War I and then won independence from South Africa in 1990 after decades of struggle and a guerilla war against South African forces that lasted more than 20 years. 'The task facing me as the fifth president of the Republic of Namibia is to preserve the gains of our independence on all fronts and to ensure that the unfinished agenda of economic and social advancement of our people is carried forward with vigor and determination to bring about shared, balanced prosperity for all,' Nandi-Ndaitwah said. Nandi-Ndaitwah is a veteran of the South West Africa People's Organization, or SWAPO, which led Namibia's fight for independence and has been its ruling party ever since. She was the ninth of 13 children, her father was an Anglican clergyman, and she attended a mission school that she also later taught in. She joined SWAPO as a teenager in the 1960s and spent time in exile in Zambia, Tanzania, the former Soviet Union and the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s. She had been a lawmaker in Namibia since 1990 and was the foreign minister before being appointed vice president. She said she would insist on good governance and high ethical standards in public institutions and would promote closer regional cooperation. She pledged to continue calling for the rights of Palestinians and the people of Western Sahara to self-determination and demanded the lifting of sanctions against Cuba, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. She also said Namibia would continue to contribute to efforts to fight climate change, a persistent threat for an arid country of just three million people that regularly experiences droughts. Nandi-Ndaitwah's husband is a retired general who once commanded Namibia's armed forces and was formally given the title 'first gentleman.' Nandi-Ndaitwah's inauguration came a day after Namibia's Parliament elected its first female speaker. ___ More AP Africa news:
