Outgoing chief Mbumba palms 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 girl president, after profitable elections final 12 months that prolonged the governing social gathering’s 35-year grip on energy.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, turned one of many few ladies 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 identified, took her oath of workplace.
In her inaugural speech, Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged her historic election, but additionally mentioned that Namibians elected her for her competence and advantage.
She added that whereas the nation has seen progress since independence, “there’s quite a bit that must be completed.”
Beforehand within the publish of vice chairman for a 12 months, 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 had been prolonged a number of instances after logistical failures led to main delays.
Namibia is witnessing certainly one of 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 robust problem finally 12 months’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 problem 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 folks.
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 advised South Africa’s nationwide broadcaster SABC, including it could 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 through the elections, which the IPC sought to annul in a failed court docket motion.
“We are able to make our politics through the marketing campaign and so forth however as soon as it’s over, we should construct Namibia collectively,” she mentioned.
