Latest news with #Swapo
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Namibian minister sacked after being accused of rape
Namibia's agriculture minister has been sacked after being accused of raping a 16-year-old girl five years ago. Mac-Albert Hengari was arrested on Saturday after allegedly attempting to bribe the victim, now 21, to withdraw the case against him, local media quote the police as saying. Hengari, who has denied any wrongdoing, is expected to appear in court in the coming hours. This is the first major scandal for Namibia's first female President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, since she took office last month. The statement from the president's office did not indicate the reasons for the dismissal but said Hengari had also been dismissed from the National Assembly. Hengari was nominated to parliament by the president to represent the ruling party, Swapo. He is under investigations for multiple charges related to the case including kidnapping, rape and assault, local media report. From freedom fighter to Namibia's first female president 'Fees have fallen' in Namibia as president announces free higher education The opposition Independent Patriots for Change said Hengari's arrest "on allegations of rape, kidnapping and forced abortion" was a "profound failure of leadership and exposes the hollowness of government rhetoric on gender-based violence". It said the case came against a backdrop of "widespread gender violence", with 4,814 gender-violence cases reported last year. The country has a population of three million. The party also criticised the vetting process, saying the president had appointed Hengari "despite a criminal investigation having allegedly been opened in November 2024". President Nandi-Ndaitwah last month unveiled a cabinet described as ground-breaking for female representation - with nine out 14 members being women, including the vice-president. The 72-year-old won November's election with a 58% share of the vote. She is a long-term member of Swapo – which has been in power since the country gained independence in 1990 after a long struggle against apartheid South Africa. LISTEN: Africa Daily's interview with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Sam Nujoma: The revolutionary leader who liberated Namibia Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Bloomberg
22-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Namibia's New President Names Witbooi as Deputy, Trims Cabinet
Namibia's President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah appointed long-serving lawmaker Lucia Witbooi as her deputy as she unveiled a streamlined cabinet, consolidating key ministries and placing oil and gas oversight under her own office. Witbooi, 64, a former deputy minister, previously worked in education and home affairs before rising through the ranks of the ruling South West Africa People's Organisation, or Swapo. She becomes the second woman to hold the vice presidency in the southern African country, which is on the verge of an oil boom but which faces significant economic challenges, including a 37% unemployment rate.
See - Sada Elbalad
22-03-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Namibia Swore in 1st Female President
Rana Atef On Friday, Namibia swore in its first female president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. She became also the second-ever directly elected female president in Africa. "If things go well then it will be seen as a good example," Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told BBC's Africa Daily podcast. "But if anything then happens, like it can happen in any administration under men, there are also those who would rather say: 'Look at women!'" Nandi-Ndaitwah is one of the oldest and strongest living members of the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo). She joined Swapo, then a liberation movement resisting South Africa's white-minority rule at the age of 14. "Truly, land is a serious problem in this country," she told the BBC, adding: "We still have some white citizens and more particularly the absent land owners who are occupying the land." The new president has several challenges, mainly the tough economic conditions of the country's population, in addition to unemployment, and inequality. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) News Ireland Replaces Former Israeli Embassy with Palestinian Museum News Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Maguy Farah Reveals 2025 Expectations for Pisces News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple
Roya News
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Namibia welcomes first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Namibia has officially welcomed its first female head of state, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who was sworn in on Friday. She commented on her position during an interview with BBC's Africa Daily podcast, stating, "If things go well then it will be seen as a good example. But if anything then happens, like it can happen in any administration under men, there are also those who would rather say: 'Look at women!'" The 72-year-old politician secured victory in the November elections with 58 percent of the votes. She has been a devoted member of the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), the ruling party since Namibia gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Nandi-Ndaitwah joined Swapo at the young age of 14, when it was still a liberation movement opposing the white-minority rule in South Africa. Despite the progress made by Swapo, the remnants of apartheid continue to impact wealth distribution and land ownership patterns in Namibia. "Truly, land is a serious problem in this country," she acknowledged ahead of her inauguration. "We still have some white citizens and more particularly the absent land owners who are occupying the land." As Namibia's new leader, Nandi-Ndaitwah aspires to be evaluated on her accomplishments. "It is a good thing that we as countries are realizing that just as men [can do], women can also hold the position of authority," she asserted, positioning herself as a role model for future generations of female leaders.
Saudi Gazette
21-03-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Namibia swears in first female president
WINDHOEK — Namibia's new president was sworn in on Friday to lead a country facing high rates of unemployment, inequality and poverty. And she will be dealing with it with the additional burden of being only Africa's second-ever directly elected female president and Namibia's first female head of state. "If things go well then it will be seen as a good example," Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told BBC's Africa Daily podcast. "But if anything then happens, like it can happen in any administration under men, there are also those who would rather say: 'Look at women!'" The 72-year-old won November's election with a 58% share of the vote. Nandi-Ndaitwah has been a long-term loyalist of the South West Africa People's Organization (Swapo) – which has been in power since the country gained independence in 1990 after a long struggle against apartheid South Africa. She joined Swapo, then a liberation movement resisting South Africa's white-minority rule, when she was only 14. While the party has made changes and improved the lives of the black majority, the legacy of apartheid can still be seen in patterns of wealth and land ownership. "Truly, land is a serious problem in this country," she told the BBC ahead of the inauguration. "We still have some white citizens and more particularly the absent land owners who are occupying the land." She adds that she is committed to the "willing-buyer, willing-seller" principle, which means no one is forced to sell up. Namibia is a geographically large country with a small population of three million. Government statistics show that white farmers own about 70% of the country's farmland. A total of 53,773 Namibians identified as white in the 2023 census, representing 1.8% of the country's population. Namibia is one of the world's most unequal countries, with a Gini coefficient of 59.1 in 2015, according to the World Bank, which projects poverty is expected to remain high at 17.2% in 2024. The unemployment rate rose to 36.9% in 2023 from 33.4% in 2018, according to the country's statistics agency. Nandi-Ndaitwah said the economy, which partly relies on mineral exports, should work more on adding value to what the country extracts from the ground rather than exporting raw materials. She also wants Namibia to focus more on creative industries and get the education sector to adjust to new economic realities. Nandi-Ndaitwah is only the second African woman to be directly elected as president, after Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The continent's only other female president at the moment is Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took up the role after her predecessor died in office in 2021. Nandi-Ndaitwah wants to be judged on her merits, but she said that it was a "good thing that we as countries are realising that just as men [can do], women can also hold the position of authority". — BBC
