Celebrating our future female Namibian President

In my life, I have seen Namibia change time and again. I can remember when the liberation struggle brought freedom. As a young teen, I didn't grasp the true magnitude of this change completely. The recent passing of our Founding Father, Dr. Sam Nujoma, gives one a moment to pause and reflect. A feeling of sadness is the initial and overwhelming feeling; however, as I looked and relived moments in Namibia's recent history, my chest started to swell with pride. Despite the significant challenges as a newly liberated democracy, we remain free and are about to celebrate 35 years of Independence. We will crown these 35 years with the inauguration of our first female President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The fact that it is happening in the same month as International Women's Day, makes it all the more special. March 8th is International Women's Day, and it is the day that we focus on promoting equality and equity for women in every facet of life. This year's theme is 'Accelerate Action'. As a nation, we are used to having women as heads of households, and our leading figures have often been women; Dr. Sam Nujoma had female Ministers in his first cabinet in 1990. In fact, Nandi-Ndaitwah was Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation from 1990 to 1996. Namibia also has a female Prime Minister as we speak. However, we have never had a female President. With President-Elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's inauguration on March 21st, we will see the sixth female leader of an African country ascent to the highest leadership position. The theme for this year's International Women's Day is very fitting. Within 35 years of being a democracy, we have our first democratically elected female President. Talk about 'accelerating action.' There are much older democracies that have never had a female President. The United States springs to mind, but so does our big brother, South Africa. Namibia truly is at the forefront of equality and equity in this regard.Netumbo Ndaitwah has been a powerful force in Namibia long before it became a democracy. She has fought for Namibia's Independence since she was a teenager, joining the SWAPO movement when she was 14. Always steadfast in her conviction that Namibians should be free, Ndaitwah optimizes what it means to make sacrifices for your country. Assuming the mantle of President as only the sixth female leader of an African nation is a significant milestone, but it has been decades in the making.It will be great to see her presidency's impact on Namibia, which is changing and developing rapidly. With our nation tapping into and leveraging our natural resources, we can elevate Namibia to the next level socioeconomically speaking. Under the President Elect's stewardship, Namibia has a clear path to prosperity for all. Building on the legacy of our Founding Father and the Presidents that went before her, our economic development and growth will be the envy of Southern Africa. Namibia's future, prospects and growth are in good hands.I congratulate and salute you, honourable President-Elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. **: Llewellyn le Hane is the chairperson of Green Enterprise Solutions.*

Celebrating our future female Namibian President

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Celebrating our future female Namibian President

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