Namibia's first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was sworn in

On Friday, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, a 72-year-old former vice president of Namibia, took the oath of office as the country's first female president. In November 2024, she emerged victorious as the presidential candidate of the ruling South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). 

SWAPO won 51 of the 91 seats in the election with 53% of the parliamentary vote. 20 seats were won by the opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC). Nandi-Ndaitwah became Africa's second female president. Her inauguration was attended by dignitaries from all around the continent, including nine previous heads of state and seven current African presidents. Namibia's unemployment rate increased to 36.9% in 2023, according to a BBC article. 

In order to create jobs, she underlined the importance of economic diversification, pointing out that it would "provide jobs to take care of the unemployed, of which the majority are the youth."

She declared in her inauguration speech that "we are going to enhance investments in the agriculture sector to boost output and meet domestic food requirements." During Namibia's independence fight, Nandi-Ndaitwah, a seasoned politician and longtime SWAPO member, joined the party at the age of 14 and went into exile in 1973. 

Henning Melber, a member of SWAPO, expressed worry that the party had not yet appointed someone to fill the vice-presidency that Nandi-Ndaitwah had left open during her presidential campaign. The position will stay open until the party's next regular convention in 2027, according to MP Tobie Aupindi.