Namibia Set to Inaugurate First Female President in Historic Ceremony

Namibia is making history as it prepares to inaugurate its first female president, marking a new era in the nation’s leadership.

On Friday, Namibia, the desert nation in Southern Africa, will inaugurate its first female president. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah secured victory in last year’s elections, continuing the ruling party’s 35-year hold on power.

At 72, Nandi-Ndaitwah is set to join the ranks of the few women leaders in the region as she is inaugurated at a ceremony attended by heads of state from neighboring countries such as Angola and South Africa.

Formerly serving as the vice president, she is a steadfast member of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), which guided the sparsely populated, uranium-rich nation to independence from apartheid-era South Africa in 1990.

Widely recognized by her initials NNN, Nandi-Ndaitwah won 58 percent of the vote in the tumultuous November elections. These elections faced significant delays and were extended multiple times due to logistical failures.

The young opposition group, Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), put up a formidable challenge but secured only 25.5 percent of the vote. This outcome highlights enduring loyalty to SWAPO, despite the declining popularity of other liberation parties in southern Africa.

A significant concern during the elections was the high unemployment rate among young people, with 44 percent of those aged 18 to 34 lacking jobs in a nation with only three million inhabitants.

On the night before her inauguration, NNN stated that addressing unemployment was a top priority.

“In the coming five years, we need to generate at least 500,000 jobs,” she stated in an interview with South Africa’s national broadcaster SABC. She further mentioned that achieving this goal would necessitate an investment of 85 billion Namibian dollars (equivalent to $4.67 billion or 4.3 billion euros).

She mentioned that agriculture, fishing, and the creative and sports industries are crucial sectors for job creation.

She called for unity following the emergence of political divisions during the elections, which the IPC unsuccessfully attempted to annul through legal action.

“We can engage in political activities during the campaign, but once it’s concluded, we need to work together to build Namibia,” she said.

Upon being elected as Namibia’s first female president, she expressed to SABC: “Naturally, it’s a positive development that we are shattering the ceiling and breaking down barriers.”

NNN, the daughter of an Anglican pastor known for her conservative views, has adopted a stringent position against abortion in Namibia—a country where it is prohibited except under exceptional circumstances. Additionally, same-sex marriage remains illegal there.

Having joined SWAPO in her early teens, she spent time in exile in Moscow during the liberation struggle. While serving as foreign minister from 2012 to 2024, she spoke highly of her country’s “good historical relations” with North Korea.

Namibia ranks as the third or fourth largest producer of natural uranium globally, varying by year. It supplies this radioactive metal to countries generating nuclear power, such as France.

This sun-drenched, arid nation along the Atlantic Ocean boasts abundant diamond resources and aims to harness its natural gas and oil deposits.

It holds significant potential for generating solar and wind energy; however, media reports indicate that Nandi-Ndaitwah has expressed skepticism about the viability of this sector.