Namibia Swears In First Female President, Nandi-Ndaitwah

Namibia swore in its first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on Friday.

She won elections that extended the ruling party’s 35-year grip on power.

With her election, 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 on the continent, including Angola, South Africa, and Tanzania.

The opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) mounted a strong challenge but secured only 25.5 percent of the presidential vote.

According to data, unemployment is prevalent among the young population, with 44 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds unemployed 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 for our people,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said in her first address as president.

Namibia is one of the world’s leading uranium producers and is also rich in diamonds, but it has a high disparity between the rich and the poor.