Namibia’s new president promises equality, “prosperity for all”

March 21 marked a historic day for Namibia with the inauguration of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country’s first female president, who decisively won the presidential election last November.

According to ‘Washington Blade’, in her inaugural address, Nandi-Ndaitwah pledged to uphold the rights of every Namibian by promoting shared prosperity for all and committed to improving gender parity throughout the nation.

“The task facing me, as the fifth president of the Republic of Namibia, is to preserve the gains of our independence on all fronts and to ensure that the unfinished agenda of economic and social advancement of our people is carried forward with vigor and determination to bring about shared, balanced prosperity for all,” she stated. “I am optimistic that, as a nation, we can make a success of our country. We must work together as a united people with one heart and one mind.”

Nandi-Ndaitwah’s statements come at a time when LGBTQ+ Namibians face the risk of being criminalised.

In 2023, MP Jerry Ekandjo introduced the Marriage Amendment Private Members’ Bill and Spouse Bill, which would have rendered same-sex marriages illegal, regardless of whether they had been legally performed outside Namibia. Those violating the proposed law could have faced up to six years in prison, a $5,000 (approximately £3,800) fine, or both.

Former President Nangolo Mbumba declined to sign the bills into law earlier this month because they were not passed by a majority of MPs and posed constitutional challenges. Last July, former Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security Minister Albert Kawana introduced the marriage proposal in parliament, describing the two bills as redundant.

The Marriage Bill, which became law on October 2, 2024, just four months after Kawana introduced it, repealed the Marriage Act of 1961 along with all its subsequent amendments, including the Supreme Court decision that recognised same-sex marriages legally performed outside Namibia.

According to the Marriage Act of 2024, marriages or marital unions between persons of the same sex, regardless of where conducted, or marriages conducted in countries where such unions cannot be validly recognised in Namibia are deemed illegal. Violators of the law can face up to four years in prison, a $1,000 (approximately £773) fine, or both.

“This law impacts all Namibians, from stricter marriage age requirements to mandatory public notification of intended unions,” stated Equal Rights Namibia, an LGBTQ advocacy group in Namibia. “Its effects extend beyond same-sex couples, complicating cross-national marriages and limiting personal freedoms. Equal Namibia calls for strategic litigation support and encourages Namibians whose rights are violated by this unconstitutional law to join us in our fight.”

Following a landmark High Court ruling last July that struck down Namibia’s apartheid-era sodomy laws, consensual same-sex sexual relations remain decriminalised.

“The Namibia High Court’s decision to overturn these laws and decriminalize consensual same-sex sexual conduct is a victory for love, for equality, and for human rights,” commented Khanyo Farise, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for East and Southern Africa. “This ruling is a step toward ending discrimination in equal access to healthcare and other social services, ensuring that all people in Namibia can choose their partners without fear of reprisals and live their lives in dignity.”