Biography
Born on 29 October 1952 at Onamutai, Oshana Region,Her Excellency (H.E) Dr. Netumbo Ndemupelila Nandi-Ndaitwah brings to Namibia’s political landscape a milestone which will be cherished for generations. A First Female President of the SWAPO Party and a First Female President of the Republic of Namibia. A torchbearer, a caring mother, a compassionate and passionate leader who has held various high level Political and Ministerial positions as well as various responsibilities within SWAPO Party and its Government, over an uninterrupted period of 57 years.
H.E. Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah is married to Lieutenant-General (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, Former Chief of Defense Force of the Republic of Namibia, and are blessed with three (3) sons and five (5) grandchildren.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS OBTAINED
She is a holder of:
- Master’s Degree in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Keele, United Kingdom;
- Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration and Management from the Glasgow College of Technology, Scotland;
- Diploma in International Relations from the University of Keele, United Kingdom;
- Diploma on the Work and Practice of the Communist Youth League of the Soviet Union, Lenin High Komsomol School in Moscow, former USSR.
POLITICAL CAREER
Her political career started in 1966 when she joined SWAPO at the tender age. Between 1972-1974, she served as the Chairperson of the Southwest Africa Peoples Organization-SWAPO Youth League in Northern Namibia. Due to her political activities in 1973, she was arrested and sentenced to three years suspension. In 1974, she left the country to join SWAPO in exile to fight for Namibias independence. H.E. Dr. Nandi Ndaitwah was elected and served in various positions as follows:
- Chairperson of SWAPO Youth League for Northern Namibia, 1972 – 1974;
- Member of the SWAPO Central Committee, 1976 – 1987;
- Deputy Chief Representative of SWAPO for Central Africa based in Lusaka, Zambia, 1976 -1978;
- Chief Representative for Central Africa based in Lusaka, Zambia, 1978-1980;
- Chief Representative of SWAPO in East Africa and the Organization of Africa Unity (OAU) Liberation Committee based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 1980 – 1986;
- Member of the SWAPO Party Central Committee from 1991 – to date
- Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of SWAPO Party, 1991 – to date
- Deputy Secretary General of the SWAPO Party, 2000-2002;
- Secretary for Information, Publicity and Mobilization of SWAPO Party, 2002-2007
- Vice President of the SWAPO Party President, November 2017 - March 2025;
- President of the SWAPO Party, from 09 March 2025 – to date
A seasoned diplomat and public administrator with unquestionable wealth of experience, while in exile, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah attended and addressed several international meetings to advance the cause for Namibia’s Independence.
She first addressed the United Nations Committee on Decolonization in 1974, when she was part of the SWAPO delegation to the UN General Assembly. While serving as SWAPO Chief Representative in East Africa and Africa’s Liberation Committee she attended most of the meetings of the Frontline States, as she was accorded a permanent seat on the plane of His Excellency Julius Mwalimu Nyerere, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who nicknamed her Mama wa SWAPO.
H.E. Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah had an opportunity to regularly address the first-year students at the Political Department of the University of Dar-Es- Salaam.
She was part of the SWAPO negotiation team on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 435.
MINISTERIAL POSITIONS HELD
Amongst other she held the following positions:
- Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1990 – 1996;
- Director General of the Department of Women Affairs (Ministerial Rank) in the Office of the President, 1996 – 2000;
- Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare (2000-2005);
- Minister of Information and Broadcasting. (2005-2010);
- Minister of Environment and Tourism (2010-2012);
- Minister of Foreign Affairs (2012-2015);
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (March 2015- February 2024) (combined positions);
- Vice President of the Republic of Namibia on 04 February 2024 – 20 March 2025, and
- President of the Republic of Namibia, 21 March 2025 – 20 March 2030.
In 1995, H.E. Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah was the Rapporteur General of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China. During the preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women, she served as the Chief Negotiator for the African Group.
As the first Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare she championed amongst others the enactment of the Married Persons Equality Act, 1996 and the Combating of Domestic Violent Act, 2003.
She initiated the discussion at the UN Security Council on women and peace that led to the unanimously adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on 31 October 2000. This Resolution gave birth to the Women Peace Agenda which is one of the key topics in the United Nations Security Council.
Moreover, while serving as President of the Namibian National Womens Organization (NANAWO), she worked with the Law Reform Commission of Namibia, to promote the adoption of national legislations for the and protection of the rights of women and children.
While, as the Minister of Environment and Tourism, she was the African Chief Negotiator on the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources (Nagoya, Japan). This Protocol calls for fair and equitable benefits sharing and the utilization of genetic resources based on the Convention on Biological Diversity.
HONORARY RECOGNITIONS
Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah is also a recipient of numerous accolades:
- Namibia Order of the Eagle awarded by H.E. Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba, second President of the Republic of Namibia;
- Order of Fransisco de Miranda Primera Classe, awarded by H.E. Nicolas Maduro, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela;
- Order of Simon of Cyrene by the Anglican Church in Southern Africa;
- Honorary Doctorate from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
