The Nandi-Ndaitwah I Know

In a functional democracy such as that of Namibia, people elect political leaders based on what they represent.

They trust them to fulfil their promises and act in a way that serves the greater public interest.

The election of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (NNN) as president-elect of Namibia, marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s history.

Moreover, this has ignited renewed hope for thousands of Namibians. However, this comes at a most difficult time when the country and the majority of citizens are entangled in myriad socio-economic challenges.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Rural-born NNN hails from the small village of Onamutayi in today’s Oshana region in northern Namibia.
She is now aged 72.

Her upbringing was largely shaped by a strong cultural, Christian and political background. Her story is remarkable. It is one of grit, perseverance and courage.

Inspired by Julius Nyerere, whose political philosophy had a profound impact on her political career in later years, NNN was educated and groomed by Swapo.

She firmly believes in the call for solidarity, freedom and justice as fundamental principles to the progress and development of Namibia and its people.

Considering the hierarchical structure of Swapo politics, NNN has been an effective team player throughout her political career.
NNN has not only worked tirelessly to foster party unity, but she has also successfully accomplished tasks with flying colours, and she continued to strengthen Swapo’s ability and appeal to be the preferred political home for the majority of the Namibian people going forward.

NNN has had an impressive political career, rising from being a political activist, mobiliser and de facto Swapo youth leader in the then Ovamboland in the early 1970s, to becoming top diplomat, and presently the vice president of Namibia.

The leadership style required by Swapo and Namibia in the current and future political realm can be traced in NNN’s leadership traits.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

As from 21 March 2025, NNN will be sworn in as the first woman president of the Republic of Namibia.

Similarly, there are high expectations from the Namibian population that the next leader should preside over a meritocratic high-performance government that delivers on its mandate, focusing on high-impact priorities of the state as well as creating socio-economic opportunities for all Namibians across the country.

LEADERSHIP CREDENTIALS

NNN possesses the essential qualities of a good leader, such as high integrity and accountability.

Her track record – both in Swapo and the government – demonstrates her strong attributes of integrity and clean governance.

This is what she hopes to promote within the collective as she prepares to build a reputable, capable and responsive development state among the nations of the world.

In other words, NNN is well placed to unite Namibian people from various backgrounds.

Aided by her impressive political track record and superior skills, NNN represents strong moral and ethical leadership, which Swapo and society yearn for to inspire and instil hope in the Namibian people.

In brief, NNN can be described as a liberation icon, top international diplomat, catalyst for fundamental change, consensus builder and initiative-driven, inclusive and consultative leader.

This makes her the perfect choice for Namibia at this moment, when the populace is looking for inspirational servant leadership.
It is highly likely that the hallmark of NNN’s presidency will be ethical leadership and effective service delivery, with result-driven outcomes, and she may demand accountability from her appointees.

THE ROAD AHEAD

A lot of work awaits the next government. Many Namibians face multiple socio-economic challenges which require an effective and responsive government.

Sadly, Namibia is known for crafting good policies but fails on implementation. The apparent disconnect between policy and timely implementation of government projects, programmes and development initiatives needs urgent attention from the next leadership at every level of government – given that everything rises and falls on leadership.

Just like policies and plans; they are just as good as their level of implementation.

The next government faces the daunting task of changing this undesirable narrative of poor implementation of government development initiatives.

When implementation capacity improves in the government, this in turn serves as a catalyst for the success of the country’s development objectives.

It is a fact that big achievements always take place in the framework of high expectations.

To ensure high performance and deliverables on set targets, the next government should pay special attention to the implementation of consequence management to deal with dead wood and non-performing personnel in the system.

The culture of non-performance on the part of civil servants that goes unpunished is counterproductive and disastrous for the current and future Namibian state, as this may seriously undermine all well-intended development intentions of the government of the day.

Furthermore, there is a need for the next leadership to drive a process of culture change to ensure state employees become agents of positive change based on result-oriented outcomes.

Elected and appointed leaders should dream big, visualise a desirable future for Namibia and its people and articulate and act with urgency on the government’s plans, hopes and aspirations.

NNN’s next accomplishments will be measured by the extent to which tangible progress is made to improve the living conditions of all Namibians under her presidency.

– Fluksman Samuehl is a former member of parliament and scholar of international relations and strategic studies. The views expressed here are his own.