Born in northern Namibia on 29 October 1952, Cde. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is married with three children.
Political Biographical Profile
Cde. Nandi-Ndaitwah is a holder of a Masters Degree in Diplomatic Studies from Keele University in the United Kingdom. She obtained Post Graduate Diplomas in International Relations; and Public Administration and Management, from Keele University and Glasgow College of Technology, respectively.
Her political career started in 1966 when she joined SWAPO. In 1969, she served as Chairperson of the South West Africa People's Organization - SWAPO Youth League in Northern Namibia until 1974, when she left the country to join other SWAPO members in exile to fight for Namibia's independence after being released from prison and sentenced to suspended three years, which means for three years she was banned from political activities.
While in exile, Cde. Nandi-Ndaitwah served as a member of the SWAPO Central Committee from 1976 - 1987. At the same time, she served as:
- Chief Representative for Central Africa, from 1978 - 1980;
- Deputy Chief Representative of SWAPO for Central Africa from 1976 - 1978, based in Lusaka, Zambia; and
- Chief Representative of SWAPO in East Africa and the OAU Liberation Committee based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 1980 - 1986.
At the first Congress of SWAPO, held in independent Namibia, she was elected to the Central Committee of SWAPO Party, served in Political Bureau from 2002 - 2007 and held a position of SWAPO Party Deputy Secretary General in 1996.
Nandi-Ndaitwah has been a Member of Parliament of the Republic of Namibia since 1990, and she was elected Vice-President of the SWAPO Party at the 6th SWAPO Party Congress that took place from the 23-26 November 2017.
As Vice President of the SWAPO Party, in accordance with the SWAPO Party Constitution, Comrade Nandi-Ndaitwah, shall be the principal assistant to the President in the discharge of his duties and function in the Party; shall exercise all such functions as may be delegated to her by the President; shall exercise the same powers and carry out all the duties and functions of the President in the absence of the President; and shall be accountable to the Central Committee and its Political Bureau.
She is an avid reader with interests in women empowerment, netball and squash.
