'Bumpy take-off’ marks Netumbo’s first 100 days

Weighing in on the first 100 days of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in office, analysts have praised her ‘right tone’ so far, downsizing Cabinet and empowering women, but accused her of indecisiveness and poor vetting of her Cabinet appointments.Nandi-Ndaitwah, who was sworn in as the country’s fifth president on 21 March, will mark 100 days in office this Sunday.One of the first major reforms she undertook was reducing her Cabinet from 23 members to 14, with only three ministers from the previous Cabinet retained. Notable figures who were dropped included former finance minister Ipumbu Shiimi and Nandi-Ndaitwah’s rival at the 2022 Swapo congress, Pohamba Shifeta, who had served as environment minister. Barely a month after it was formed, her administration was rocked by an alleged bribery scandal involving one of her surprise Cabinet picks, agriculture minister Mac Hengari.Hengari, accused of fathering a child with a woman who has also accused him of rape, was arrested in April after allegedly attempting to bribe her with N$222 000 in exchange for withdrawing the charges she laid against him in late 2024.The president has faced criticism from some quarters for not acting decisively against Hengari when the rape charges were officially confirmed by police chief Joseph Shikongo – ironically, at the time when a spate of killings and rapes targeting school children sent shockwaves through Okahandja and the country. Hengari resigned after his arrest, but the presidency later claimed he had been considered fired a week earlier, despite no public announcement to that effect.Delays in decisions Perceptions of indecisiveness were also cemented by Nandi-Ndaitwah’s handling of contracts of regional governors, whose terms expired in March. The president appointed seven new governors and extended the terms of seven sitting governors for three months, until 20 June.By 20 June, governors were still in the dark about their future, with some bidding farewell to their residents as the expiry dates of their contracts approached. A day after their contracts ended, the governors were told their contracts had been extended by 10 days, ending on Monday next week.“The postponement of regional governor appointments is a matter of concern, which puts efficient decision-making processes into doubt,” Sweden-based Namibian academic Professor Henning Melber said. Academic Ndumba Kamwanyah also commented on the president’s perceived indecisiveness and the vetting process of her Cabinet appointees.“The vetting of key ministers like [health minister Esperance] Luvindao and Hengari raised serious questions, and the fact that she still hasn’t finalised her team of ambassadors and regional governors suggests indecisiveness,” Kamwanyah said, adding that it is difficult to discern the new administration's policy direction.Get the ball rolling In her inaugural speech on 21 March, Nandi-Ndaitwah declared that corruption equals treason and must be treated accordingly. “Corruption in all its manifestations should be avoided at all costs,” she said, drawing a loud round of applause.Heeding the call, two of her ministers – Luvindao and urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa – have already reported suspected cases of corruption to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).During her first Cabinet meeting, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasised the importance of performance and accountability among government officials. “Your performances will be evaluated regularly, starting with the next three months, based on the key performance indicators in your terms of reference," the president said.She further directed that key legislative reforms outlined in the Swapo Party election manifesto be implemented by May to ensure effective service delivery. Reiterating her long-standing philosophy, she declared: “I shall maintain my position that we are too few to be poor,” adding that Namibia’s resources and population size don't justify the high levels of poverty in the country.Establish stability Melber observed that "the discrepancy between promises during the election campaign, such as a massive increase of monthly pensions, and the admission of having made unsustainable commitments and thereby misleading voters, was not the best start in terms of building trust," citing an initial pledge of an N$3 000 monthly old-age grant. In the end, no increase was made to the grant, with the president saying she will focus first on helping the youth.Another academic, Rui Tyitende, said the new administration is struggling to find its footing.“The administration has backtracked on the promise of free education at tertiary level by indicating that it will only be for priority fields. Also, there is grand posturing around artificial intelligence in the health sector while the public is drugged with expired medicines. So, what has really changed?” he said. “This has been a bumpy take-off, and I hope stability will be soon established so that the promises that have been made are fulfilled.”Opposition lawmaker Evilastus Kaaronda, who represents Swanu in the National Assembly, said Nandi-Ndaitwah “has set the correct tone, both in public utterances and Cabinet profile” but urged her to act quickly in dealing with “all the wrongs she has inherited from previous administrations before getting to work on much of her own.”“Much remains to be seen, especially on the free higher education front, the war veterans and the poor,” Kaaronda remarked.Foreign policy moves Throughout the early days of her administration, Nandi-Ndaitwah prioritised fostering international relations. On 1 April, she received a courtesy visit from the deputy prime minister of Russia, Yury Trutnev, followed by a visit from International Olympic Committee president-elect Kirsty Coventry on 5 April. Soon after, she welcomed the outgoing British high commissioner Charles Moore, Chinese ambassador Zhao Weiping, and several other diplomats.To this, Melber said: “Her initial steps in meeting the highest-ranking representatives of China and Russia as well as the North Korean ambassador confirmed her foreign policy affinities and preferences, which were visible already during her time as foreign minister. It remains to be seen if she manages the necessary balancing act in geo-strategic manoeuvring in the best interest of Namibia’s declared non-aligned policy.”On 8 May, the president began her first trip abroad with a working visit to Luanda, Angola, where she met president João Lourenço. She then travelled to the Oukwanyama Palace to attend the Omaongo Festival, followed by the Sam Nujoma Remembrance Ceremony at Heroes' Acre.Subsequent engagements included bilateral talks with Botswana president Duma Boko, a working visit to Zambia with president Hakainde Hichilema, a visit to Mozambique where she met president Daniel Chapo, and meetings with Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa and Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan. Discussions centred on trade, education, agriculture, youth empowerment, minerals development,and boosting intra-African cooperation.

'Bumpy take-off’ marks Netumbo’s first 100 days

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-14

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'Bumpy take-off’ marks Netumbo’s first 100 days

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-14

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