Meet your new Cabinet ministers

Lucia Witbooi: Vice-PresidentBorn on 21 March 1961, in Gibeon, Witbooi is a seasoned educator who dedicated 27 years to teaching, primarily at Dr W.M. Jod Primary School. Elected to the National Assembly for the first time in 2009, Witbooi has been an active member of parliament since then. She previously served as the deputy minister of home affairs and, prior to that, deputy minister of gender equality.Dr Elijah Tjitunga Ngurare: Prime MinisterNgurare was born on 28 October 1970. He hails from Katjinakatji village in the Kavango West Region. The prime minister has obtained degrees in water resources management, international and comparative water law, and a Ph.D. in environmental law from the National University of Ireland. He was Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) secretary from 2007 to 2015. In 2015 he was expelled from Swapo but was later reinstated after he challenged the expulsion in court.Natangwe Paulus Ithete: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mines, Energy & IndustryIthete was born on 9 January 1976. Before entering mainstream politics in 2015, he worked as a valuation and inspection officer for Agribank. He has held various leadership roles, including in the SPYL, National Youth Council, Nanso and Nafinu. From 2015 to 2020, he served as deputy minister of finance under President Hage Geingob. Ithete holds qualifications in human resources, labour relations, property finance, economics and banking.Ericah Shafudah: Minister of Finance and Social Grants ManagementA Cassinga massacre survivor, 62-year-old Shafudah was born in Eendadi daShafudah village, Ohangwena Region. She began her career as a teacher before becoming an economist at the National Planning Commission. In 2002, she joined the ministry of finance, progressing from undersecretary for treasury to executive director. In 2021, she left government to work as a consultant for the UN World Food Programme. Shafudah holds multiple qualifications, including master’s degrees in biostatistics, education and leadership, as well as a diploma in accounting and finance, reinforcing her expertise in finance, strategy and institutional reform.Frans Kapofi: Minister of Defence & Veterans AffairsBorn on 25 January 1953, in Onaame, Ohangwena Region, Kapofi is arguably the most seasoned of all new appointees. After serving as permanent secretary in several ministries between 1990 and 1999, he served as secretary to Cabinet from 1999 until 2015, when he was appointed minister of presidential affairs. His highest qualification is a master&#039;s degree in business administration from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute, Tanzania.Lucia Iipumbu: Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and SecurityBorn on 20 November 1975 in Onamenga near Elim in the Omusati Region, Iipumbu holds both a bachelor&#039;s and a master&#039;s of administration from the University of Namibia. She was active in the SPYL, where she served as secretary for finance. She previously worked for the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) as head of the benefits processing unit. Her parliamentary journey began in 2015 when she was appointed deputy minister of economic planning. She later served as deputy minister of trade, and in March 2020, she was promoted to minister of trade.Selma Ashipala-Musavyi: Minister of International Relations & TradeBorn on 16 June 1960 in Walvis Bay, Ashipala-Musavyi is a seasoned Namibian diplomat and public administrator with over 30 years of experience. She has held key positions, including as Namibia’s ambassador to Austria, the high commissioner to Nigeria, and executive director of the ministry of international relations. Internationally, she served on the UN Secretary-General’s advisory board on disarmament matters. After retiring in 2020 as executive director in the ministry, she was appointed as high commissioner to Ghana. She holds a master&#039;s degree in diplomatic studies from the University of Keele in the United Kingdom.Dr Mac Albert Hengari: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land ReformHengari is a Namibian academic and renewable energy executive with over 20 years of experience. Until recently, he served as the chairman of Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power Ltd (Anirep), a company focused on renewable energy solutions. He also held key positions as the director of the Namibia Business School and as the chief economist at the Namibia Investment Centre. He holds an MBA from the University of Bristol and a graduate degree from the University of Surrey. His age is unknown.Sanet Steenkamp: Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts & CultureBorn on 29 October 1972 in Karasburg, Steenkamp holds a master’s degree in education from Rhodes University. Until her appointment to Cabinet, she was the executive director in the ministry of education. She previously served as director of education in Ohangwena Region. She has championed inclusive education and promoted sexual health and HIV/Aids awareness. Steenkamp chairs the Rural Health Integrated Network and advocates for transparency in educational management.Dr Esperance Luvindao: Minister of Health & Social ServicesLuvindao is a medical doctor, health advocate and public speaker who was born in 1994 in Namibia to parents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She earned her bachelor of medicine and surgery (MBChB) from the University of Namibia’s School of Medicine. She also holds an MBA from the Management College of Southern Africa, a postgraduate diploma in public health from the University of Pretoria, and certifications in executive and management coaching from the University of Cape Town.Indileni Daniel: Minister of Tourism & TourismDaniel is the district coordinator for the Swapo Party Women’s Council (SPWC) in the Windhoek West constituency. Before her appointment, the 60-year-old from Oshandi village in Ohangwena Region was the head of the early childhood development (ECD) section at the City of Windhoek. She previously worked as a distance education coordinator at the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol). She has also been associated with the Anglican Diocese of Namibia and pursued studies at the University of Namibia.Emma Theofelus: Minister of Information and Communication TechnologyTurning 29 this Friday, Theofelus was born on 28 March 1996, in Windhoek. She is the youngest member of Cabinet and had previously served as deputy minister of information before she was promoted to full minister in February 2024. She served as deputy speaker of Namibia&#039;s children&#039;s parliament, advocating for children&#039;s rights and sustainable development. She holds an LLB Honours Degree from the University of Namibia.Veikko Nekundi: Minister of Works & TransportBorn on 24 November 1977, in Otshitutuma village, Omusati Region, the former SPYL deputy secretary joined the National Assembly in 2015. He served as a deputy minister of public enterprises and later works and transport. In 2013, he obtained a master of business administration (MBA) from the University of Namibia.Dr Emma Kantema: Minister of Gender Equality & Child WelfareBorn on 16 August 1978 in Rupara, Kavango West Region, Kantema was the deputy minister of youth and sport until her promotion over the weekend. She also previously served as an executive director in government. A member of the Swapo central committee, she earned a master&#039;s in business administration and a doctorate in business administration from the University of Namibia.James Sankwasa: Minister of Urban and Rural DevelopmentBorn on 5 May 1955, in Sikanjabuka, Zambezi Region, Sankwasa held the position of deputy minister of works between 2015 and 2020. He holds a master of business administration from Thames Valley University, London (1997), and a master of arts in health management, planning and policy from Leeds University (1994). His career has spanned various roles, including CEO of New Era and director of bilateral affairs in the then ministry of foreign affairs.Fillemon Wise Immanuel: Minister of Justice and Labour RelationsUntil his appointment, Immanuel served as company secretary at the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF). He has been a member of the Namibian Qualifications Authority (NQA) council since 2022. Previously, he served as president of the University of Namibia&#039;s student representative council and holds a bachelor of laws (Honours) from the same university. He has also worked as a leadership development officer at the University of Namibia.Festus Mbandeka: Attorney GeneralMbandeka was reappointed to the position of Attorney General, which he originally ascended to in March 2020. An admitted legal practitioner of the Namibian High Court, he previously served as the CEO of the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), among other postings. He obtained his bachelor&#039;s degree in law (LLB) from the University of Natal in Durban in 1995. His age is unknown.Dr Kaire Mbuende: Director-General, National Planning CommissionBorn on 28 November 1953 in Windhoek, Mbuende is a politician and diplomat who holds a Ph.D. in economic sociology and a bachelor of arts (Honours) in economic history and sociology from Lund University, Sweden. He previously served as the deputy minister of agriculture, executive secretary of SADC, deputy minister of foreign affairs and ambassador to the United Nations, Belgium and the European Union.

Meet your new Cabinet ministers

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-26

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Meet your new Cabinet ministers

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-26

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