Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah sworn in as Namibia’s first female president
Following a ceremony held on Friday at a gathering of heads of state from several African nations, including those from Angola, South Africa, and Tanzania, Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became one of the few women leaders on the continent.
Nandi-Ndaitwah received power from the Independence Stadium to State House at a ceremony that took place on the occasion of Namibia’s 35th anniversary.
As Nandi-Ndaitwah, or NNN, as she is known, took her oath of office, loud cheers and ululations erupted.
Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged her historic victory in her inaugural speech, but she also remarked that Namibians had chosen her based on her merit and competence.
She continued, “There is a lot that needs to be done,” despite the country’s progress since independence.
She served as the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), which helped the sparsely populated and uranium-rich nation achieve independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. She previously held the position of vice president for a year.
In the tumultuous November elections, which were postponed numerous times due to logistical issues, Nandi-Ndaitwah clinched 58 percent of the vote.
According to Mbumba, the country’s interim leader, one of its “foremost daughters” is “breaking through the glass ceiling.” It has taken a long time to come.”
Even though the popularity of other Southern African liberation parties has decreased, the young opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) faced a formidable challenge in the previous year’s election, which only garnered 25.5 percent of the vote. This underscores SWAPO’s continued loyalty even as its support for other parties has decreased.
In a nation of just three million people, 44 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds without work in 2023, making this issue a crucial one at the ballot box.
Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that tackling unemployment was a top priority on the eve of her inauguration.
She told South Africa’s national broadcaster SABC, adding that 85 billion dollars ($4.67 billion) would be needed to invest in the country. “In the next five years, we must produce at least 500, 000 jobs,” she said.
Agriculture, fishing, and the creative and sports industries are the main areas of employment, she said.
Following the election-related political divisions that the IPC sought to end in a failed court case, she made an appeal for unity.
Source: Aljazeera
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