Namibia inaugurates first woman president

Southern Africa’s desert nation of Namibia swore in its first woman president Friday after Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won elections that extended the ruling party’s 35-year grip on power.Nandi-Ndaitwah pledged yesterday to boost investments in the agricultural sector and diversify the resource-focused economy in an attempt to address high unemployment rates.Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became Namibia’s first female president after her SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3mn people for more than three decades, secured victory in both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.Namibia has seen relatively strong economic growth in recent years, primarily due to investments in oil, gas and green hydrogen.However, World Bank data indicate the southern African nation ranks second highest globally for income inequality."We are going to increase investments in the agriculture sector to increase output and meet domestic food requirements,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said in her inaugural speech after being sworn in as president.She also committed to diversifying the economy, enabling citizens to "derive maximum benefits from our country’s natural resources, through value addition”.Diversification, she added, would "create jobs to take care of the unemployed, of which the majority are the youth”.She also stressed the need for maintaining high ethical standards among public servants and combating corruption.SWAPO’s public support has fallen in the last decade due to dissatisfaction with high unemployment, inequality and graft allegations. The party secured 57% of the votes in November’s presidential race, compared to 87% in the 2014 election.Nandi-Ndaitwah’s inauguration was attended by dignitaries including seven incumbent and nine former African presidents.Last month, Namibia’s Supreme Court dismissed a challenge against the presidential election brought by opposition parties, which said the vote was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues.Outgoing president Nangolo Mbumba, 83, handed over power at a ceremony that coincided with the 35th anniversary of Namibia’s independence and was moved from the Independence Stadium to State House because of rare heavy rains.Applause and ululations erupted as Nandi-Ndaitwah, popularly known as NNN, took the oath of office.Before delivering her remarks, she called on previous women African leaders in the audience, including Liberia’s Nobel Peace laureate and former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to stand.Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the only other woman currently leading an African country, was also present.Nandi-Ndaitwah said that while her election would encourage other women, it should be clear: "I was not elected because I’m a woman but on merit.”"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 society,” she said.Namibia is one of the world’s leading uranium producers and also rich in diamonds, but has a high disparity between rich and poor.