President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah rejects Africa as global battleground at 39th African Union summit in Ethiopia

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah yesterday returned from the 39th African Union Summit in Ethiopia, advocating for continental sovereignty, climate investment, and youth employment amid analysts warning about policy implementation.

At the summit, she said Africa should not be a battleground for competing interests amid changing global landscapes.

She said the African Union (AU) must be a platform for collective action.

“Africa must not be a battleground for competing interests. Rather it must be a partner of choice, guided by principles, mutual respect, and shared prosperity,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the AU is convening at a time of high global tension and fragmentation.

Political analyst Henning Melber says although the president rightly points to the importance of maintaining and strengthening global governance, she should be more principled in her reference points to gain more credibility.

This to avoid double standards, he says.

“If you truly recognise national sovereignty and the right to self-determination, you cannot refer to Palestine, the Western Sahara, Cuba and Venezuela while not mentioning the Ukraine.

“Namibia did not even vote in the United Nations General Assembly for a resolution demanding a return of the thousands of children kidnapped by Russia in Ukraine.

Such flaws highlight its own double standards,” Melber says.

The president at the event called on the African continent’s investment into water infrastructure, given the impact of climate change on access to water.

“For many years, we had taken water availability as a natural or normal phenomenon,” she said.
She said most countries, including Namibia, realise that water availability, security and access, are central to economic growth and development.

LEADING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

The president said she wishes to position Namibia as a global player in delivering climate solutions.

She reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to multilateral cooperation and to hosting the Green Climate Fund’s African Regional Offices.

The fund provides climate financing to developing countries for projects that reduce emissions, adapt to climate change and protect vulnerable communities.

Namibia has received N$900 million from the fund.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said N$62.3 million has been disbursed so far to 140 youth projects, creating about 722 jobs.

She said this while giving feedback on the implementation of the national programme of action on youth unemployment in Namibia.

The report covers the period from 1 December 2021 to 31 December 2025.

‘CULTURE OF GOOD SPEECHES’

Political analyst Sakaria Johannes says despite the positive speeches, the country should see and analyse results after implementation.

“We have a culture of good speeches, yet no results and poor implementation of our policies.

Let us see how many young people will benefit from these initiatives. Then we can start to analyse whether it is beneficial or not,” he says.

Nandi-Ndaitwah called for countries to ensure they get adequate resources for development.

This comes after Namibia attended the G20 last November on invitation of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Speaking at the consideration of the reports on the Africa G20 summit, the president said there is a need for the continent to address energy transition, debt sustainability for low-income countries, and investments in mineral exploration.

“For Namibia, an important issue to be addressed by the AU and the G20 is ensuring that countries can mobilise sufficient resources for development,” she said.

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah says the AU has become more symbolic than practical.

Although people attend meetings, very little seems to change on the ground, he says.

“It often feels like a talk shop that consumes resources without delivering measurable results.”

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