Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been sworn in as Namibia’s first female president, marking a historic moment in the country’s political landscape, Al-Jazeera reported.
At 72 years old, Nandi-Ndaitwah assumed office on Friday, following her victory in last year’s election, which secured an extension of the ruling SWAPO party’s dominance after 35 years in power.
The inauguration ceremony, originally planned for the Independence Stadium, was moved to the State House due to rare heavy rains.
The event was attended by heads of state from across Africa, including leaders from Angola, South Africa, and Tanzania.
Outgoing President Nangolo Mbumba, who handed over power to Nandi-Ndaitwah, acknowledged the historic significance of her election.
Namibia is witnessing one of its “foremost daughters breaking through the glass ceiling”, outgoing leader Mbumba said. “It has been a long time coming.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is commonly referred to as NNN, received a warm reception, with loud applause and ululations as she took her oath of office.
In her inaugural speech, she recognised the historical achievement but emphasized that her election was a result of competence and merit, not just gender.
She acknowledged that while Namibia has made significant progress since its independence, much more remains to be done.
“While we celebrate the progress we have made, there’s still a lot that needs to be done,” she stated. Nandi-Ndaitwah, who previously served as vice president, is a long-time member of the South West Africa People’s Organisation, which led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
Having won 58 per cent of the vote in the 2024 elections, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s leadership comes at a time of considerable political and economic challenges.
A key issue at the ballot box was widespread unemployment among the young population, with 44 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds without work in 2023 in a country of just three million people.
Addressing these challenges, Nandi-Ndaitwah has made job creation a priority. “In the next five years, we must produce at least 500,000 jobs,” she told South Africa’s SABC on the eve of her inauguration.
She added that achieving this goal would require an investment of 85bn Namibian dollars ($4.67bn), focusing on key sectors such as agriculture, fishing, and the creative and sports industries.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also called for national unity, stressing the importance of reconciliation after a contested election.
“We can make our politics during the campaign and so on, but once it’s over, we must build Namibia together,” she said, urging all Namibians to work collaboratively for the future.
