Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah emerges as Namibia’s first female black president

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DJ, play me, Beyoncé’s Run the World(Girls)

It’s a new beginning. The tides are turning to the favour of women already. We have got the first Black female president already! Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made history by becoming Namibia’s first female president. Notably, the first Black female president in the country’s history.

Even in Africa’s history, we have not had a black female president once.

With 57% of the vote, the 72-year-old leader has secured her position, extending the ruling SWAPO party’s 34-year leadership since independence in 1990.

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Nandi-Ndaitwah’s life has been marked by remarkable events, including fighting against occupying powers, fleeing into exile, and establishing herself as a prominent figure in Namibian politics. Despite her closest rival, Panduleni Itula, rejecting her victory and planning to challenge the result in court, Nandi-Ndaitwah remains committed to leading Namibia’s economic transformation.

Born in 1952 in the northern village of Onamutai, Nandi-Ndaitwah joined SWAPO at 14 and became a leader in the movement’s Youth League. She has held various ministerial roles and has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights. The politician pushed through the Combating of Domestic Violence Act in 2002.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has shattered the segregation. Her hands-on, pragmatic approach to leadership has earned her a reputation as a results-driven leader.