President Nandi-Ndaitwah calls for economic freedom at Heroes' Day

During the 60th Heroes' Day commemoration at Heroes' Acre in Windhoek, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called for a shift in focus from the nation's liberation history to its current economic challenges. She stated that while the liberation generation secured political freedom and sovereignty, the current generation must now fight for “economic emancipation.”

Nandi-Ndaitwah identified poverty, youth unemployment, inequality, corruption, and institutional inefficiency as the modern “enemies” facing the country. She challenged citizens to ensure that the freedom inherited from the liberation struggle translates into improved material reality for ordinary people, asking, “What did we do with it?”

Vice President Lucia Witbooi also addressed the event, paying tribute to Nandi-Ndaitwah’s history as a freedom fighter. Witbooi highlighted the President's journey from exile in the 1970s to her role as Namibia’s first female Head of State, noting her previous service as a SWAPO representative and various ministerial roles.