Statement by Namibian president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, State House, Windhoek, 22 March 2025.
I have the honour to welcome you all to this first engagement after being sworn in, as the fifth president of the republic of Namibia. As I indicated last year after the presidential elections, the people of Namibia gave me and Swapo an overwhelming mandate to govern our country for the next five years.
The Namibian citizens voted for us because they demonstrated their confidence in the promises that we made in our election manifesto which is based on clear principles, namely "unity in diversity: natural resources beneficiation and youth empowerment for sustainable development". In order to realise our goals, we have developed the implementation plan which will be the blueprint of the new government. The implementation plan is a catalyst for economic growth and job creation through economic diversification while at the same time prioritising human capital investment through education and youth empowerment.
Therefore, as elected leaders, we have an immense responsibility to ensure that we consolidate democracy, peace, stability and good governance in the country, as well as to expedite the delivery of quality public services to all Namibians.
Moreover, our government is tasked to enhance food security in the country, improve the health of our people, deliver affordable housing, quality education and create job opportunities for thousands of unemployed Namibians. Equally, we have to implement targeted interventions in the priority sectors of agriculture, mining, tourism, sports and creative industries to accelerate the socio-economic development of our country.
In accordance with Article 32 (3) (g) of the Namibian Constitution and guided by the election manifesto implementation plan, I have decided to establish, abolish some and make several alignments in various government offices, ministries and agencies in order to eradicate duplications, cutting on expenditures and to ensure smooth and effective implementation of our development programmes. I have also merged some ministries and transferred some mandates to the ministries where we can maximise outcomes:
- The trade mandate has been transferred to the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation to ensure coordinated synergies in the implementation of our economic diplomacy, while at the same time promoting regional and continental economic integration and enhancing opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
- Social grants will fall under the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises to improve effective delivery of social grants to the beneficiaries, while also removing bottlenecks in the distribution of these services to thousands of beneficiaries in all the fourteen regions of our country.
- Fisheries and marine resources have been transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to improve the management and sustainable development of our fisheries and aquatic resources for the benefit of our national economy.
- Higher education and Innovation will be placed under the Ministry of Education, Arts, Sport and Culture to enhance effective coordination and improvement of our education system.
- Industrialisation will migrate to the Ministry of Mines and Energy which is responsible for the management of our country's mineral resources in order to ensure effective implementation of our national industrialisation drive and economic diversification through value addition initiatives.
- The marginalised and disability functions will be placed in the Office of the Vice President to improve national coordination.
- Poverty eradication is a cross-cutting function. Therefore, all government offices/ministries/agencies will be required to put in place programmes that are aimed at eradicating poverty and accelerating socio-economic development.
- Labour relations will be transferred to the Ministry of Justice to ensure effective coordination of labour relations as well as the implementation of the labour legislation.
- The government of the republic of Namibia has valuable immovable properties and assets in all the fourteen regions of our country. Therefore, a new public entity will be created to manage and take care of government immovable properties and assets.
- The new emerging industries of oil and gas need to be managed in the manner that maximises benefits for all Namibians. Therefore, the management of these industries will fall under the Office of the President.
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In view of the said alignment and re-organisation of the government offices/ministries/agencies, the executive will be constituted as follows:
The president, vice president, prime minister and deputy prime minister, Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Ministry of International Relations and Trade, Ministry of Finance and Social Grants Management, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ministry of Industrialisation, Mines and Energy, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations, Attorney General, National Planning Commission, and National Central Intelligence Service.
I thank you.
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