Namibia is set to inaugurate its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on Friday following her victory in last year’s elections, extending the ruling SWAPO party’s 35-year tenure.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, previously served as vice president and is a veteran of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), which led the country to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. She will be sworn in at a ceremony attended by regional leaders, including those from Angola and South Africa.
Widely known as NNN, she secured 58 percent of the vote in the November elections, which faced logistical challenges and multiple extensions due to delays. Her main challenger, the opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), garnered 25.5 percent, reflecting sustained support for SWAPO despite declining popularity of liberation-era parties in southern Africa.
A key election issue was high unemployment, particularly among young people, with 44 percent of those aged 18 to 34 unemployed in 2023.
On the eve of her inauguration, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized job creation as a top priority.
“In the next five years, we must produce at least 500,000 jobs,” she told South Africa’s national broadcaster SABC, noting that this would require an investment of 85 billion Namibian dollars ($4.67 billion).