Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah becomes Namibia’s first female president
Last Friday, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was sworn in as president of Namibia. The inauguration also coincided with the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence. The 72-year-old politician from the SWAPO Party of Namibia won the presidential elections in November 2024, making her the first woman in the country’s history to hold this office.
The former freedom fighter succeeds Nangolo Mbumba, who took over as Namibian president following the death of President Hage Geingob in February 2024 (press review CW 6/2024). Nandi-Ndaitwah was promoted to vice president after the death of Geingob. She is one of the few female heads of state in Africa after Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from Liberia, Joyce Banda from Malawi and Samia Suluhu Hassan from Tanzania. All three took part in the inauguration ceremony.
As her first official act, the new president presented a restructured cabinet, which has been reduced from 21 ministries to 14, with eight women and six men, giving women a share of 57%. As part of the government formation, Lucia Witbooi, previously Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, was also appointed vice president. This makes Namibia the only African country to have both a female president and a female vice president.
In her inaugural speech for her five-year term, Nandi-Ndaitwah explained that the government wants to invest more in the agricultural sector in order to increase production and meet domestic food demand. She also emphasised the need to diversify the economy in order to make optimal use of the country’s natural resources. Namibia has experienced relatively strong economic growth in recent years, mainly due to investments in the oil, gas and green hydrogen sectors. However, according to the World Bank, the country ranks second in the world in terms of income inequality. The president therefore announced that she would push ahead with land reform to tackle the unequal distribution of fertile land. Land ownership in Namibia is still predominantly in the hands of the white population.
In addition to measures to combat climate change, from which the country suffers greatly, the fight against corruption in the public service is another key concern of the new government. Popular support for SWAPO has declined significantly over the last ten years – partly due to high youth unemployment, which stands at around 46 per cent, growing social inequality and persistent allegations of corruption. In the 2024 presidential elections, SWAPO only received 58% of the vote, compared to 87% ten years earlier. To counteract the loss of confidence, presidential candidate Nandi-Ndaitwah promised during the election campaign to create 550,000 jobs by 2029. However, the current implementation plan only envisages 250,000 new jobs.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s inauguration was attended by numerous international dignitaries, including seven current and nine former African presidents. The USA and Germany also congratulated the new head of state. In an interview with BBC Africa, the president emphasised the ongoing importance of the pending reconciliation with Germany. In 2021, Germany officially recognised the genocide of the Herero and Nama in what was then German South West Africa and pledged financial support of 1.1 billion euros over a period of 30 years as part of a reconciliation agreement negotiated with the Namibian government, which is to be channelled into programmes to support the affected communities (press review CW 9/2024). After the Namibian parliament refused to approve the agreement, talks have since been held to clarify further details in an annex to the agreement. In the current interview, Nandi-Ndaitwah expressed confidence that the reconciliation agreement could be finalised this year.
Abdourahmane Tchiani sworn in as interim president in Niger
The head of the military junta, Abdourahamane Tchiani, was sworn in as the new interim president with the adoption of a transitional charter in Niger’s capital Niamey on Wednesday. The ceremony held in Tchiani’s honour took place at the Mahatma Gandhi International Centre in the presence of members of the ruling junta (Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie, CNSP), former heads of state, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Niger and Nigerien civil society.
The transitional charter, which came into force upon signing, replaces Niger’s democratic constitution and thus strengthens the junta’s control over the country’s institutions. It allows Tchiani and his government to remain in office until at least 2030 as part of a five-year transition period that began on Wednesday. However, the period is flexible and can be adjusted depending on the current security situation in the country, among other things, explained the Secretary General of the government, Mahamane Roufai. In a decree, the sworn-in president also ordered the dissolution of all political parties.
The regulations adopted were already recommended by a national commission at the end of February 2025, which also decided to promote Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tchiani to the position of Army General, the highest military rank in the country. This means he can now take over two important posts in the country and significantly consolidate his position of power. The transitional charter also mentions a referendum as a prerequisite for the establishment of foreign military bases in the West African country. However, it is pointed out that the president can authorise this by decree in the event of an emergency. Niger currently maintains a military partnership with its new ally Russia to fight militant groups in the country after American, French and other European troops were expelled.
The security situation in Niger has played a decisive role since the coup in July 2023 (press review CW 30/2023). The military led by Tchiani, then head of the presidential guard, justified the coup against President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023 with the growing threat of terrorist attacks by Islamist groups. The deposed president and his wife remain under house arrest in their residence to this day. Tchiani’s government is also investigating Bazoum on charges of high treason and jeopardising national security.
According to the state news agency ANP (Agence nigérienne de presse), Tchiani explained on Wednesday that the new charter builds on the previous constitution and contains unprecedented measures to protect the country’s natural resources so that the population benefits more from the country’s wealth. Regional media report on the implementation of the charter as a historically important turning point in the reconstruction process of the Sahel state.
Originally, the military junta had announced its intention to return to civilian rule within three years of taking power. The West African regional organisation ECOWAS rejected this, describing the announcement as a provocation and threatening violent intervention and sanctions – whereupon Niger, together with Mali and Burkina Faso, left the association of states. With the extension of the transition period, the regional organisation’s efforts to speed up the return to democracy were abandoned.
The seizure of power by the military junta is similar to the political changes in Mali and Burkina Faso. All three states have ended relations with their former colonial power France and jointly founded the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in July 2024 (press review CW 28/2024). The three states have also withdrawn from the regional organisation ECOWAS. Niger also withdrew from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) in mid-March.
In other news
Matchday 6 of the CAF Qualifiers, the African qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico came to an end on Tuesday. With the newly introduced qualification format for the upcoming World Cup, nine teams will now qualify directly for the finals – instead of five as before. South Africa extended its lead in Group C with a 2:0 win against Benin. Nigeria now trails five points behind South Africa and will have to rely on further wins to stay in the race. The DR Congo, Tunisia and Côte d’Ivoire are leading their respective groups, each with 16 points. Ghana maintained first place in Group I after a 3-0 win against Madagascar. For most African teams, qualification for the World Cup will be decided in the upcoming matchdays in September and October 2025.