Namibia Installs its First Female head of State
On Friday, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah took the oath of office as Namibia’s first female president, becoming the country’s highest official over 60 years after she joined the battle for Namibia’s independence from South Africa’s apartheid regime.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became one of the few female leaders in Africa after Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Malawi’s Joyce Banda, and Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, after winning an election in November. Former Tanzanian leaders Sirleaf and Banda, as well as current President Hassan, attended Nandi-Ndaitwah’s inauguration.
The swearing-in of Nandi-Ndaitwah took place on the 35th anniversary of Namibia’s independence, however due to heavy weather, the ceremony was moved from a soccer stadium where thousands were expected to attend to the official presidential office. The newly elected president vowed to protect, enforce, and support the constitution in the presence of other visiting leaders from South Africa, Zambia, Congo, Botswana, Angola, and Kenya.
Nangolo Mbumba, who had served as Namibia’s president since February 2024 after President Hage Geingob passed away, is succeeded by Nandi-Ndaitwah. After Geingob’s passing, Nandi-Ndaitwah was promoted to vice president.
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