Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah made historical past on March 21, 2025, as she was sworn in as Namibia’s first feminine president, reaching the top of management practically six a long time after becoming a member of the nation’s liberation motion.
At 72 years outdated, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s election in November 2024 positioned her amongst a choose group of feminine African leaders, following the likes of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Joyce Banda of Malawi, and Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania.
Her inauguration, attended by regional leaders and former feminine heads of state, coincided with Namibia’s thirty fifth independence anniversary.
Nonetheless, as a consequence of heavy rains, the occasion was relocated from a stadium to the presidential workplace, the place she took her oath in entrance of visiting dignitaries from South Africa, Zambia, Congo, Botswana, Angola, and Kenya.
Born on October 29, 1952, in Onamutai, Namibia, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s political journey started at simply 14 years outdated when she joined the South West Africa Individuals’s Group (SWAPO), the celebration that led Namibia’s wrestle for independence from South Africa.
Following the demise of President Hage Geingob in February 2024, she was appointed vp, serving briefly underneath performing President Nangolo Mbumba earlier than profitable the election.
As Namibia’s fifth president, Nandi-Ndaitwah has vowed to proceed strengthening the nation’s democracy and driving financial progress. In her inaugural tackle, she emphasised the necessity to protect the good points of independence whereas guaranteeing financial and social development for all Namibians.
She has pledged to give attention to boosting financial development, enhancing social welfare, and enhancing Namibia’s function in regional and international diplomacy.
“The duty going through me because the fifth president of the Republic of Namibia is to protect the good points of our independence and be certain that the unfinished agenda of financial and social development is carried ahead with vigor and willpower,” she stated in her inaugural tackle.
Her presidency comes at an important time for Namibia, because the nation navigates financial challenges, youth unemployment, and sustainable improvement objectives. She has positioned herself as a frontrunner dedicated to addressing these points with willpower and imaginative and prescient.
Her lifelong dedication to public service and governance has earned her a number of accolades, together with the Inter-Generational Management Award on the 2024 Nala Feminist Summit, the Thought Management Award on the Namibia Sustainable Improvement Awards, and an honorary doctorate from the College of Dar es Salaam.
Married to Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, former Chief of the Namibian Defence Power, she stays a staunch advocate for ladies’s empowerment, training, and group improvement.
