Namibia shifts gears in its journey to women in power

That changed with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. When she took the oath of office on 21 March, she did not just become Namibia’s first female president — she recalibrated the country’s idea of who belongs at the top.

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Within 48 hours, she had appointed Lucia Witbooi as Namibia’s first female vice president and unveiled a 14-member cabinet dominated by women, comprising eight ministers, or 57%, a record-breaking achievement since independence.

Unlike earlier decades when women were clustered in “soft” ministries, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s team entrusted them with the country’s core portfolios — finance, foreign affairs, mining, education and health.

Parliament completed the picture when it elected Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila as speaker, creating a historic alignment: women leading the executive, legislature and deputy presidency simultaneously.

Among the new faces are some of Namibia’s youngest ever cabinet members, signalling not just a gender shift but a generational one.

Dr Esperance Luvindao, 31, a medical doctor with no prior political experience and not drawn from Swapo’s top structures, was appointed as minister of health and social services a surprise choice that underscored Nandi-Ndaitwah’s readiness to disrupt convention. Luvindao has since made her mark by tackling corruption in the health sector, notably removing costly middlemen from the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Emma Theofelus, 29, who continues as the minister of information, communication and technology, also represents this new generation young, policy-driven and globally engaged.

Their inclusion reflects Nandi-Ndaitwah’s conviction that competence and integrity, not seniority, should shape public service.

The election of Kuugongelwa-Amadhila as Speaker of the National Assembly marked another milestone in Namibia’s democratic evolution.