Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah | |
|---|---|
 Nandi-Ndaitwah in 2025 | |
| 5th President of Namibia | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Elijah Ngurare |
| Vice President | Lucia Witbooi |
| Preceded by | Nangolo Mbumba |
| 3rd Vice President of Namibia | |
| In office 4 February 2024 – 21 March 2025 | |
| President | Nangolo Mbumba |
| Preceded by | Nangolo Mbumba |
| Succeeded by | Lucia Witbooi |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia | |
| In office 21 March 2015 – 4 February 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Saara Kuugongelwa |
| Preceded by | Marco Hausiku |
| Succeeded by | John Mutorwa |
| Minister of International Relations and Cooperation | |
| In office 4 December 2012 – 4 February 2024 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Utoni Nujoma |
| Succeeded by | Peya Mushelenga |
| Minister of Environment and Tourism | |
| In office 21 March 2010 – 4 December 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Nahas Angula |
| Preceded by | Willem Konjore |
| Succeeded by | Uahekua Herunga |
| Minister of Information and Broadcasting | |
| In office 2005–2010 | |
| Prime Minister | Nahas Angula |
| Preceded by | Nangolo Mbumba |
| Succeeded by | Joel Kaapanda |
| Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare | |
| In office 2000–2005 | |
| Prime Minister | Hage Geingob |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Marlene Mungunda |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Netumbo Nandi (1952-10-29)29 October 1952 (age 73) Onamutai,South West Africa (nowNamibia) |
| Political party | SWAPO |
| Spouse | Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah |
| Education | |
Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (born 29 October 1952), nicknamedNNN,[1][2] is a Namibian politician who has been the fifth and currentpresident of Namibia since 21 March 2025.[3] She is the country's first female president.[4] Previously, she served as the thirdvice president under PresidentNangolo Mbumba between 2024 and 2025. She held various high level political and ministerial position as well as various responsibility within SWAPO party and its government over an uninterrupted period of 57 years.[5]
She was the first female presidential candidate forSWAPO (the South West Africa People's Organisation) in2024. In 2017, Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected vice president of SWAPO, the first woman to serve in that position. Before entering the top leading position, Nandi-Ndaitwah served as thedeputy prime minister of Namibia from 2015 to 2024,minister of International Relations and Cooperation from December 2012 to 2015, and asminister of Environment and Tourism from March 2010 to December 2012. She is a long-time member of theNational Assembly.
Netumbo Nandi was born on 29 October 1952 to Justina Nekoto Shaduka-Nandi and Petrus Nandi in Onamutai,South West Africa, today near the border ofOhangwena Region andOshana Region, Namibia.[6] Her father was an Anglican clergyman. She is the ninth of 13 children.[7] Ndaitwah was educated at St. Mary's Mission inOdibo.[8]
Nandi-Ndaitwah became politically active as a teenager, joining SWAPO's ranks at the age of 14. She soon became the leader of SWAPO's Youth Movement organisation, fighting to end South Africa's occupation. Nandi-Ndaitwah soon became a target for the opposition, forcing her to go into hiding.[9]
Nandi-Ndaitwah went into exile in 1973 and joined SWAPO members inZambia. She worked at theSWAPO headquarters inLusaka from 1973 to 1975 and attended a course at the Lenin HigherKomsomol School in theSoviet Union from 1975 until 1976. She graduated with a diploma in the work and practice of the communist youth movement. In 1987, she obtained a post-graduate diploma in public administration and management from theGlasgow College of Technology, in the United Kingdom, and 1988, a further post-graduate diploma in international relations fromKeele University, also in the UK. In 1989, Nandi-Ndaitwah obtained a master's degree in diplomatic studies, also from Keele University.[10]
After the 2024 November election, she was given an honorary Doctorate in diplomatic and public work.
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Nandi-Ndaitwah became the SWAPO deputy representative inZambia from 1976 until 1978 and the chief representative in Zambia from 1978 to 1980. From 1980 until 1986, she was the SWAPO chief representative in East Africa, based atDar es Salaam. She was a member of the SWAPOcentral committee from 1976 to 1986 and the Namibian National Women's Organisation (NANAWO) president from 1991 to 1994.[10]
She has been a member of theNational Assembly of Namibia since 1990. She was DeputyMinister of International Relations and Cooperation from 1990 to 1996 and first gained ministerial status in 1996 as director-general of Women's Affairs in the Office of the President, where she served until 2000, under Namibia's first president,Sam Nujoma. In this role, Nandi-Ndaitwah worked in the department to coordinate between the government, private, and public spheres on advancing government programs to support women and children.[11] During this time, Namibia's National Gender Policy (1997) was enacted.[12] Other gender responsive laws such as the Married Persons Equality Act (1996)[13] and the Combating of Rape Act (2000),[14] recognizing marital rape, were enacted to improve gender equality and reduce gender-based violence. In 2000, she was promoted to Minister and given theWomen's Affairs and Child Welfare portfolio.[15] In 2003, the Domestic Violence Act (2003)[16] was passed with her support to protect children and spouses from violence occurring in the home. In 2022, an amendment was published to extend safeguards to children in the home beyond their 18th birthday.[17]
From 2005 to 2010, she was theMinister of Information and Broadcasting inNamibia's cabinet. She subsequently served as theminister of environment and tourism until a major cabinet reshuffle in December 2012, in which she was appointedminister of foreign affairs,[18] a portfolio since renamed to International Relations and Cooperation.
Under PresidentHage Geingob, Nandi-Ndaitwah was appointed asdeputy prime minister in March 2015, while serving in parallel as the minister of international relations and cooperation.[19] Nandi-Ndaitwah sits on both SWAPO's central committee and thePolitburo. She is also the party's secretary for information and mobilisation and, as such, is one of SWAPO's main spokespeople.[10][20]
In March 2023, President Geingob named Nandi-Ndaitwah as SWAPO's presidential candidate in the2024 Namibian general election.[21] Following Geingob's death in February 2024, Nandi-Ndaitwah was appointed as vice president, succeedingNangolo Mbumba, who became president. She is the first woman serving in that role.[22][23]
On 3 December 2024, she was officially declared the president-elect of theRepublic of Namibia, making her the first woman to hold the position.[24] Nandi-Ndaitwah received 683,560, or 58.7% of the vote, defeatingPanduleni Itula andMcHenry Venaani.[25] She was inaugurated on 21 March 2025.[26]
During her inauguration speech in 2025, she pledged to focus on job creation, specifically targeting "500,000 new jobs"[27] as a policy priority, with a key focus on agriculture, fishing, creative, and sports industries.
In April 2025, Nandi-Ndaitwah announced that the government would provide free tertiary education in government schools beginning in 2026.[28] On 27 April, she dismissedMac-Albert Hengari as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform following his arrest on bribery charges, after he tried to silence an alleged rape victim.[29]
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is married to Lieutenant General (retired)Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, former Chief of theNamibian Defence Force.[10] She is interested in children's community work and reading.[20]
She is popularly referred to as NNN, a nickname used commonly by her political associates.[30]
She is an advocate for women and gender equality inNamibia. Despite work on gender equality inNamibia, many of her critics consider her beliefs to be in opposition to feminism, as she has a more traditional, conservative viewpoint. In a 2022 interview between EagleFM and political analystHenning Melber, Melber stated that she has not historically supportedreproductive rights or protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals.[31] She is also an opponent of abortion.[26]
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was awarded the 'thought leadership' at the Namibia Sustainable Development Awards.[32] Nandi-Ndaitwah was recognized with an Inter-Generational Leadership Award at the 2024 Nala Feminist (Nalafem) Summit.[33] She further holds an Honorary Doctorate from theUniversity of Dar es Salaam,Tanzania.[34]
She has also been honored by the President of the Namibia National Women’s Organization (NANAWO) for her work on improving women's role in politics.[35]
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Media related toNetumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related toNetumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at Wikiquote
