Who is Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, potential first female president of Namibia?

“She seems so wise, so gentle and so kind”explains a potential voter to the British channel BBC. The young woman praises the favorite in Namibia's next general election, which takes place on Thursday, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (NNN). The latter, aged 72, represents the SWAPO party, a historic movement in power since 1990 and the country's independence. If victorious, she would become the first female president of Namibia and the fourth elected head of state on the African continent. Daughter of an Anglican pastor, NNN is particularly known for her conservative positions. She is a fervent “supporter of strict legislation regardingabortion »notes German political scientist Henning Melber to AFP.

The current vice-president of Namibia has gradually climbed the ranks within the party. It was at the age of 14 (in 1966) that she joined the resistance movement against South Africa which then governed the country. That same year, she and several members of the movement went into exile to escape oppression. She returned there in 1990 and at the same time entered the National Assembly. In 2010, “NNN” took on his first government functions, becoming Minister of the Environment and Tourism. Two years later, she was appointed Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, a position she held for eleven years. At the same time, she served as deputy prime minister from 2015. Last February, the candidate was appointed vice-president after the death of the current president.

“NNN” is often criticized by its opponents for its ties to Russia. They claim that if she wins, she would implement anti-Western policies. She draws her Russian ties from her exile in Russia where she studied in a youth organization of the Soviet Communist Party. “She also studied at United Kingdom but its links with Moscow seem to have affected her much more”estimates Henning Melber. “She internalized a kind of anti-Western feeling”he adds.

“A significant change”

According to the British channel, the promise of a woman at the head of the country, however, won over female voters. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah indeed carries the hope of those who wish for a change in patriarchal society. “The possibility of (she) becoming the country's first female president could be the catalyst for a significant change in political culture within the Southern African Development Community (a bloc of 16 countries mainly in the south, Editor’s note). A territory where men have dominated the echelons of power since the collapse of the colonial regime andapartheid »Rich Mashimbye, a researcher at the Institute for Pan-African thought and conversation (Ipatc) at the University of Johannesburg, told Turkey's Anadolu news agency.

“I don’t believe that Namibian society is ready for a female president”estimates independent analyst Marisa Lourenço to AFP. He's staying “difficult to judge whether voters are ready to vote for a woman”notably “in the northern regions (party stronghold, Editor’s note)”analyzes Henning Melber. Her nomination as a candidate, in 2023, was more than contested by members of her party, including in court. “Does this mean that they (members of her party) will vote for them?” asks the political scientist. Despite everything, NNN believes in its chances of winning the presidential election.

Another worrying factor for experts: his 72nd spring. “Her age and the fact that she is a pillar of SWAPO”constitute a major obstacle, observes Marisa Lourenço, in a country where the majority of the population (63%) was born after independence and wants a change of scenery. “They say that I am too old, that we need young people. I don't deny my age.”she defended herself in 2022 during a meeting. During her speeches, the vice president often compares old age to wisdom.

“The old school”

Facing Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah is a strong competitor in the person of Panduleni Itula (Independent Patriots for Change). The latter wishes to take advantage of the decline in popularity of the historic party to access the presidency. In the country, he is also considered a “wind of change” while NNN represents the old school “tried” more “reliable”.

This rivalry could be synonymous with a second round during the election. A first since all previous presidents were elected in the first ballot. NNN can, however, count on its reputation for“incorruptible both morally and materially”as Namibian diplomat Tuliameni Kalomoh said in comments cited by the BBC.

Namibia has indeed been plunged into several financial scandals in recent times, particularly within the historic party. The country was even included on the gray list of “reinforced surveillance” by the anti-money laundering organization GafiDes. According to the organization, the country suffers from “deficiencies” in its anti-corruption policy.