Namibia inaugurates its first woman president

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won elections that extended the ruling party's 35-year grip on power. [File, Courtesy] Southern Africa's desert nation of Namibia swore in its first woman president Friday after Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won elections that extended the ruling party's 35-year grip on power. Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became one of the few women to lead an African nation in a ceremony attended by heads of state from several countries in the continent including Angola, South Africa and Tanzania. Previously in the post of vice president, she is a veteran of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) that led the sparsely populated and uranium-rich country to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Outgoing president Nangolo Mbumba, 83, handed over power at a ceremony that coincided with the 35th anniversary of Namibia's independence and was moved from the Independence Stadium to State House because of rare heavy rains. Applause and ululations erupted as Nandi-Ndaitwah, popularly known as NNN, took the oath of office. Before delivering her remarks, she called on previous women African leaders in the audience, including Liberia's Nobel Peace laureate and former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to stand. Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the only other woman currently leading an African country, was also present. Nandi-Ndaitwah said that while her election would encourage other women, it should be clear: "I was not elected because I'm a woman but on merit. "As women, we should not ask to be elected to positions of responsibility because we are women, but because we are capable members of our society," she said. Pledge for growth A member of SWAPO since she was 14 years old, Nandi-Ndaitwah last year became the first woman to lead the liberation movement. She entered the national assembly in 1990 and has held several senior posts, including deputy prime minister and minister of various portfolios. She secured 58 percent of the vote in the country's chaotic November elections, which were extended several times after logistical failures led to major delays. The youthful opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) mounted a strong challenge but took only 25.5 percent of the presidential vote, underscoring continued loyalty to SWAPO even as the popularity of other southern African liberation parties has waned. A key issue at the ballot box was massive unemployment among the young population, with 44 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds without work in 2023 in a country of just three million people. "We will increase investment in the development of infrastructure to open investment opportunities, enhance economic productivity, promote economic growth and improve the quality of life of our people," Nandi-Ndaitwah said in her first address as president. Namibia is one of the world's leading uranium producers and also rich in diamonds, but has a high disparity between rich and poor. Other priorities were improvements in the agriculture sector and addressing strong rural to urban migration, Nandi-Ndaitwah said. She also called to implement universal health coverage. "We will continue to contribute to the international effort to address global challenges facing humanity today, such as environmental degradation and climate change," she said, attributing the recent heavy rains to the "impact of climate change". Historic moment Nandi-Ndaitwah also used her speech to voice support for the right of Palestinians and the people of Western Sahara to self-determination, and called for the lifting of international sanctions against Cuba, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. The new president is a socially conservative daughter of an Anglican pastor and has taken a strict stance against abortion, which is banned in Namibia except in exceptional circumstances. Gay marriage is also illegal. "We are living an historic moment. Super excited at the inauguration of a female president," said businesswoman Monica Geingos, wife of president Hage Geingob, who died in office in 2024, as she arrived for the event.

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