Outgoing chief Mbumba fingers energy to Nandi-Ndaitwah at a ceremony coinciding with nation’s thirty fifth independence day.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been sworn in as Namibia’s first lady president, after successful elections final yr that prolonged the governing get together’s 35-year grip on energy.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, grew to become one of many few girls leaders on the African continent, following a ceremony on Friday attended by heads of state from a number of African international locations together with Angola, South Africa and Tanzania.
Outgoing President Nangolo Mbumba, 83, handed energy to Nandi-Ndaitwah at a ceremony that coincided with the thirty fifth anniversary of Namibia’s independence and was moved from the Independence Stadium to State Home due to uncommon heavy rains.
Loud applause and ululations erupted as NNN, as Nandi-Ndaitwah is popularly recognized, took her oath of workplace.
In her inaugural speech, Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged her historic election, but in addition mentioned that Namibians elected her for her competence and advantage.
She added that whereas the nation has seen progress since independence, “there’s loads that must be finished.”
Beforehand within the submit of vp for a yr, she is a veteran of the South West Africa Individuals’s Organisation (SWAPO) that led the sparsely populated and uranium-rich nation to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
Nandi-Ndaitwah secured 58 % of the vote within the chaotic November elections, which have been prolonged a number of instances after logistical failures led to main delays.
Namibia is witnessing one in all its “foremost daughters breaking by way of the glass ceiling”, outgoing chief Mbumba mentioned. “It has been a very long time coming.”
The youthful opposition Impartial Patriots for Change (IPC) mounted a powerful problem eventually yr’s election however took solely 25.5 % of the presidential vote, underscoring continued loyalty to SWAPO at the same time as the recognition of different Southern African liberation events has waned.
A key situation on the poll field was widespread unemployment among the many younger inhabitants, with 44 % of 18- to 34-year-olds with out work in 2023 in a rustic of simply three million individuals.
On the eve of her inauguration, Nandi-Ndaitwah mentioned tackling unemployment was a precedence.
“Within the subsequent 5 years we should produce at the least 500,000 jobs,” she informed South Africa’s nationwide broadcaster SABC, including it will require an funding of 85 billion Namibian {dollars} ($4.67bn).
Key sectors for job creation are agriculture, fishing and the inventive and sports activities industries, she mentioned.
She appealed for unity after political divisions surfaced throughout the elections, which the IPC sought to annul in a failed courtroom motion.
“We are able to make our politics throughout the marketing campaign and so forth however as soon as it’s over, we should construct Namibia collectively,” she mentioned.
