Namibia has sworn in its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, at a ceremony marking the country’s 35th independence day. Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, won elections last year with 58% of the vote, becoming one of the few women leaders on the African continent.
The ceremony was attended by heads of state from several African countries, including Angola and South Africa. Outgoing President Mbumba handed power to Nandi-Ndaitwah, who pledged to tackle unemployment, a key issue in the election campaign. The young population faces widespread joblessness, with 44% of 18- to 34-year-olds without work in 2023.
Nandi-Ndaitwah has been a veteran of Namibia’s liberation movement, serving as vice president for a year before winning the presidency. She has vowed to create at least 500,000 jobs over the next five years, requiring an investment of $4.67 billion. The IPC, the main opposition party, took only 25.5% of the presidential vote, underscoring continued loyalty to Nandi-Ndaitwah’s governing party, SWAPO.
In her inaugural speech, Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged her historic election and appealed for unity among Namibians, who faced political divisions during the elections. She promised to build a united country, stating “we can make our politics during the campaign and so on but once it’s over, we must build Namibia together.”
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/21/netumbo-nandi-ndaitwah-sworn-in-as-namibias-first-female-president