An exemplary woman leader

On 3 December, I watched the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), declaring Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the winner of the presidential race.

Despite political analysts projecting her win since 2022, it only sank in fully on that evening that Namibia’s president-elect is a woman.

GENDER-BASED MERIT

Nandi-Ndaitwah strongly towered over all the men candidates that contested in the November presidential election.

Hence, despite the fact that the ECN’s reported mismanagement of the electoral processes strongly overshadowed the significance of her win for many, no one can refute that merit is central to her rise to the country’s highest office.

Nandi-Ndaitwah is an experienced politician, public office administrator, leader and advocate for women empowerment, a diplomat and capable negotiator who holds a corruption-free track record.

Therefore, celebrating her win has to be done alongside the stark reminder that women are still systematically disenfranchised in Namibia’s unequal society. The high unemployment rate is leaning more towards women. Food insecurity in the country is felt more by women and children.

Summarily, Namibia’s women and children deserve and expect better from a Nandi-Ndaitwah administration, and if her meritorious history is anything to go by, these expectations are likely to be met.

ON ELECTORAL INTEGRITY

The ECN should account for the numerous mishaps that occurred between 27 and 30 November.

Seeking redress is not just an opposition party mandate, and effective leaders do not shy away from taking responsibility and owning their mistakes, nor calling for accountability.

This is because accountability is a prerequisite in the business of conducting credible elections as much as it is in good governance. Befittingly and in tandem with the president-elect’s corruption-free reputation, Namibians can anticipate a push for accountability and electoral integrity from the highest office-bearer in the country.

TOWARDS PRAGMATIC NATION BUILDING

It is clear that pragmatism is the word of the day were I to describe the president-elect’s leadership style from observation.
Her leadership style will likely yield good governance results during her term. Building a nation is a continuous process, with its progress measured through tangible efforts.

Therefore, anticipation is rife on how our unequal society is likely to see tangible policy interventions, such as job creation, starting with the agriculture sector and reviving Air Namibia as promised, more advocacy on gender equality and women empowerment, improved public health and sanitation, local content and mineral beneficiation on our natural resources, to mention a few.

Through the exemplary leadership of our president-elect, Namibia will be redeemed as a model democratic nation, led by a capable woman who has amassed years of leadership experience to serve her country and fellow citizens.

A woman who understands the role of women in society and strongly advocates their upliftment and empowerment. A woman who is convinced that integrity matters across the board and will have strong policy interventions on systemic corruption. A woman aware of the impacts of climate change and seeks to ensure that no Namibian goes hungry and no child dies from malnutrition.

It might sound as if I expect the president-elect to perform magic, it is also true that those are the real expectations of many waiting for her to make mistakes so that they can loudly attribute her failure to her gender and age.

I acknowledge that her human nature will likely make her fumble here and there, but I pin my personal hopes on her merit.
I hope Nandi-Ndaitwah’s term will truly exceed all expectations and reignite the hopes and dreams of women and girls in Namibia, Africa and the world at large.

I hope she will start by holding the ECN accountable for poorly managing the elections that secured her win and consequently diluting the significance of her win for women.

I hope Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will truly serve her term as an exemplary woman leader I can emulate one day.