President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says her ascent to Namibia’s best possible office became “long and bumpy” and fashioned by a male-dominated political landscape.
Speaking at a most up-to-date public lecture for the interval of her first legitimate presidential refer to to Tanzania, Nandi-Ndaitwah reflected on the challenges she confronted as a lady in politics, revealing that her proximity to the top leadership of the ruling Swapo party continuously felt handle a paradox.
“I have to tell you … the closer I am to the party top leadership is the furthest I have been,” Nandi-Ndaitwah told the lecture on the University of Dar es Salaam final week Wednesday.
Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged she began her political recede on the age of 14. Prior to Namibia’s independence, Nandi-Ndaitwah held just a few roles inside Swapo. Following independence, she served in multiple ministerial positions.
In 2017, she became elected Swapo vice chairman, turned into Namibia’s first female president in 2024 and became elected president of Swapo in 2025.
“While the above may be seen as self-praising, that is the reality of my long and bumpy journey to reach where I am today,” Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged.
Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged deep gender disparities have characterized Namibian politics for decades.
“For 65 years, Swapo as an organisation I grew up in has been dominated by men. The same is true for the 35 years of our independence,” she acknowledged.
“But my strength has been in the middle-leadership and the general party members. We have worked so closely and they have empowered me and became my compass as a young person coming from rural Namibia,” Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged.
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She entreated females leaders to no longer be in competition with their male counterparts, but additionally no longer recede within the again of within the 21st century.
“We must also be seen as willing to exercise our equal rights and responsibilities. We must not wait to be wheelbarrowed into the positions of power and responsibilities,” Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged.
She acknowledged it is a ways now time for females to display to their communities, worldwide locations, Africa and the realm that they’re as capable as anyone else and they’ll accept as true with excessive administrative and political positions.
“It must be underscored that the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the United Nations and many other regional and international organisations have put in place measures to facilitate women taking up leadership positions, thus enabling women to participate fully in decision-making,” Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged.
