Namibia’s President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says tackling the country’s unemployment crisis is high on her agenda.
From the governing South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), Nandi-Ndaitwah will be the country’s first female President. She won the elections with 57% of the votes.
The former foreign affairs minister and the current deputy president will officially take up her presidential duties next year.
She says she understands the challenges ahead. “The key issue as you know in this country is unemployment. It is historical in a way that most of the challenges we have been facing have a negative impact on the labour force.”
During the elections, many young people raised concerns about the challenges of unemployment.
According to the World Bank, in 2023, 19.4% of Namibians were jobless; a challenge that the president-elect will have to tackle.
“You employ people, and you give them a living wage then you know you are dealing with poverty. You are dealing with housing because they will be able to take care of themselves. So overall really it is for us to reduce poverty in the country and eventually eradicate it.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah says she is determined to ensure that the country’s mineral resources are used to benefit the people of Namibia.
“The African Union has taken a decision to at least start with 15% of the African raw material that should not leave the continent. Unprocessed oil and gas are one of Africa’s natural resources.”
UN notes victory
The election saw logistical problems and a three-day extension to polling in some parts of the country.
Her closest competitor, Panduleni Itula, the leader of the Independent Patriots for Change, received 26% of the votes.
The opposition has rejected the results and threatened to go to court.
Noting her victory as the first woman to lead the southern-African nation, the United Nations says all challenges faced should be channelled through proper legal processes.
The UN’s Secretary General Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, says: “We take note of the announcement by the electoral commission of Namibia that Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has won the Presidential election. We note that all challenges to the results of the Electoral Commission should be channeled through the proper legal avenues. In a way, it is obviously a positive sign that Namibia will have for the first time a woman president, but it is also I think a reflection of the sad state of women leaders across the globe that there are so few women who have been elected to the highest offices in their country.”
Namibia Elections | President-elect says she will serve all Namibians:
(SABC)
