AFRICA’S first elected female president, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has congratulated Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on becoming the first elected female president of Namibia.
Through the Ellen Sirleaf Presidential Centre for Women and Development, Johnson Sirleaf, who served from 2006 to 2018, said of Nandi-Ndaitwah’s historic election: ‘Her achievement is a source of inspiration, not only for women and girls across Namibia but for countless others around the world who dare to envision a future where women’s public leadership is a norm, not the exception.’
The statement from the Centre added: ‘Although women continue to face significant obstacles on the journey to leadership, each milestone serves as a reminder of the progress being made globally.
‘As more women take on executive roles, the growing momentum for gender equality in leadership becomes impossible to ignore.’
The 72-year-old leader of the ruling SWAPO party won with nearly 57 per cent of valid votes, as confirmed by the Electoral Commission of Namibia on December 3.
Her win extends SWAPO’s 34-year grip on power, a legacy that began when the party led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
The Ellen Sirleaf Presidential Centre statement said that the election of Nandi-Ndaitwah, who has been vice president since 2015, ‘reinforces our commitment to empowering women leaders who drive positive change in their communities and countries’.
‘We celebrate her victory as a symbol of hope and progress.
‘We look forward to seeing how her leadership will shape Namibia’s future and inspire a new generation of women leaders across Africa and beyond.’
