Namibia marks 35 years of independence with change in leadership

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, president of Namibia, at her inauguration and Namibia’s 35th independence celebrations, Windhoek, Namibia, 21 March 2025

Today, we gather here as Namibians, joined by the international community, to witness the change of administration from one head of state to another. Changing of administration has become an entrenched political and historical phenomenon in the Namibian culture and tradition since independence in 1990.

I therefore stand before you today with profound gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility towards the people of Namibia who placed their trust in me by electing me as the fifth president of the Republic of Namibia to lead this great nation for the next five years.

My ascendance to the highest office in the land is the culmination of years of struggle by generations of Namibians, men and women, for the political, social and economic liberation of our people. I would like to pay homage to all of them, those who have passed on and the living.

Today’s event is taking place 20 days after we laid to rest Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma, Namibia’s founding president, father of the Namibian nation and leader of our revolution (may his revolutionary spirit rest in perfect peace). He is one of those we are paying homage to today.

Let me also take this opportunity to acknowledge the crucial role that the international community has played in our struggle for national independence. Your solidarity, material and moral support have carried us to the logical conclusion of our struggle, namely the independence of our country.

It is gratifying to see that so many representatives of friendly countries, organisations and individuals, friends of Namibia, have come to celebrate with us the 35th anniversary of our independence and witness my inauguration. Your presence here today is highly appreciated; it is a source of inspiration and a moral booster to me and Namibians at large.

My inauguration today is taking place against the backdrop of a solid foundation that was laid by my predecessors. Our founding president, Sam Nujoma, led the liberation struggle and laid a solid foundation for peace, political stability, democracy, social and economic development. In his acceptance speech as first president of an independent Namibia in 1990, President Nujoma had this to say: “I move in the name of our people to declare that Namibia is forever free, sovereign and independent.”

Successive presidents, Hifikepunye Pohamba, Hage G Geingob and Nangolo Mbumba, built on that foundation, and each one of them made a distinctive contribution to nation-building, including strengthening institutional capacity, consolidating national unity, and advancing social and economic development.

Accordingly, in assuming the presidency on 21 March 2005, president Pohamba said: “A new dawn has set on our beautiful country. From this day onwards, our country will continue to move towards the future as a united democratic and prosperous nation.”

While president Geingob, in celebrating the 30th anniversary of our independence, said: “It was on this day that we witnessed the hoisting of the Namibian flag, symbolising the birth of a sovereign nation, celebrating the gift of freedom and opportunity to pursue our common aspirations.”

And in addressing our 34th independence anniversary, president Mbumba reminded us that “true independence is fundamental to the success and credibility of any nation. It is only through independence that people can obtain their dignity and full humanity”.

With those profound statements of our leaders, the progress that we have made as a nation was a result of collective efforts. Individual members of our society responded to the call, and each arm of the state – the executive, the legislature and the judiciary – made significant contributions to the political, social and economic development of our country. Similarly, the private sector, churches, traditional authorities and other non-state actors have also been important constituencies in nation-building efforts. I therefore pledge to continue to work with all these institutions to make a success of our country.

The task facing me as the fifth president of the Republic of Namibia is to preserve the gains of our independence on all fronts and to ensure that the unfinished agenda of economic and social advancement of our people is carried forward with vigour and determination to bring about shared, balanced prosperity for all.

The mandate that the electorate gave the Swapo Party under my leadership is clearly articulated in the Swapo Party Election Manifesto 2025–2030, the Swapo Party Political Programme and the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia. Those will be my guiding instruments throughout my presidency, as I serve all people of Namibia regardless of their political affiliation.

I have been an advocate for equality between men and women. I believe that it is not good for society to underplay the role that one segment of the population can play in the social, political and economic fabric of society. The Swapo Party congress of 2002 took a bold decision to amend the party’s constitution to provide for 50/50 representation in leadership in all party structures. The Swapo-led government also followed this policy in the running of the government. The result has been encouraging, as many women, including myself, have occupied strategic positions in government. We may all know that equality between women and men and the empowerment of women is work in progress all over the world. However, in Namibia, we have made good progress, but still, a lot remains to be done.

I believe that having been elected as president of my country will encourage women from all walks of life to stand up to be counted, with a clear understanding that I was not elected because I am a woman, but on merit. That is to say, as women, we should not ask to be elected to positions of responsibility because we are women, but because we are capable members of our societies to hold those positions.

The development of any country depends on the quality of its human resources. To this end, education and training will continue to be a priority to ensure that we develop technical and managerial skills and work ethics that are required in the labour market to efficiently and effectively manage the economy and create the necessary jobs. We will therefore promote continuous improvement of our education system from pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary as well as vocational levels.

In addition, access to quality healthcare is a right that all Namibian people should enjoy, irrespective of their economic and social status. We will ensure the implementation of the comprehensive universal health coverage to serve all Namibians in all parts of our country.

We will increase investments in the development of infrastructure to open up investment opportunities, enhance economic productivity, promote economic growth and improve the quality of life for our people.

As I conclude, I am optimistic that as a nation, we can make a success of our country. We must work together, as a united people with one heart and one mind. As our founding president taught us: “A people united, striving to achieve a common good for all members of society, will always emerge victorious.” We all need to put our hands on the plough. There is a role for everyone. I implore every citizen, regardless of their background or political affiliation, to join me on this journey of nation-building.

Let us move in unison under the banner of ‘One Namibia, One Nation’ to build a prosperous future for ourselves, our children and generations to come.

Long live the Republic of Namibia.

I thank you!