Nicknamed NNN, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made historical past through being elected as Namibia’s first feminine president.

The 72-year-old gained greater than 57% of the vote, along with her closest rival, Panduleni Itula, getting 26%, in step with the electoral fee.

It’s only the unedited episode in a generation full of placing occasions – Nandi-Ndaitwah has fought in opposition to occupying powers, fled into exile and established herself as some of the eminent ladies in Namibian politics.

Alternatively, Itula has unwelcome her victory. He mentioned the election used to be “deeply flawed”, following logistical issues and a three-day extension to polling in some portions of the rustic.

His Isolated Patriots for Trade (IPC) birthday party mentioned it will problem the lead to court docket.

Nandi-Ndaitwah has been a faithful member of the governing birthday party, Swapo, since she used to be a youngster and oaths to supremacy Namibia’s financial transformation.

Nandi-Ndaitwah used to be born in 1952, within the northern village of Onamutai. She used to be the 9th of 13 youngsters and her father used to be an Anglican clergyman.

On the age, Namibia used to be referred to as South West Africa and its folk had been beneath profession from South Africa.

Nandi-Ndaitwah joined Swapo, later a liberation motion resisting South Africa’s white-minority rule, when she used to be simplest 14.

A passionate activist, Nandi-Ndaitwah changed into a pace-setter of Swapo’s Adolescence League.

The position poised her up for a a success political occupation, however on the age Nandi-Ndaitwah used to be merely concerned about liberating South West Africa.

“Politics came in just because of the circumstances. I should have become maybe a scientist,” she mentioned in an interview this 12 months.

Time nonetheless a highschool pupil, Nandi-Ndaitwah used to be arrested and detained all through a crackdown on Swapo activists.

Because of this persecution, she made up our minds she may now not keep within the nation and joined a number of alternative Swapo contributors in exile.

She persevered to organise with the motion pace in Zambia and Tanzania, earlier than transferring to the United Kingdom to adopt an Global Family members stage.

Later in 1988 – 14 years nearest Nandi-Ndaitwah fled her nation – South Africa in the end affirmative to Namibian liberty.

Nandi-Ndaitwah returned house and due to this fact joined the post-independence, Swapo-run govt.

Within the years since, she has held various posts, together with ministerial roles in international affairs, tourism, kid welfare and data.

Nandi-Ndaitwah changed into referred to as an recommend for ladies’s rights. In one among her key achievements, she driven the Preventing of Home Violence Occupation throughout the Nationwide Meeting in 2002.

Consistent with Namibian media, Nandi-Ndaitwah criticised her male colleagues for seeking to ridicule the draft regulation, sternly reminding them that the Swapo charter condemns sexism.

She persevered to get up in spite of Namibia’s conventional and male-dominated political tradition, and in February this 12 months she changed into vice-president.

She suceeded Nangolo Mbumba, who stepped up nearest the dying of then-President Hage Geingob.

In her private generation, Nandi-Ndaitwah is married to Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, the previous prominent of Namibia’s defence forces. The couple has 3 sons.

All the way through her occupation, Nandi-Ndaitwah has displayed a hands-on, pragmatic taste of management.

She as soon as declared in a accent: “I am an implementer, not a storyteller.”