Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah addresses the Heroes’ Day ceremony at Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek on Aug. 26, 2026. Photo: Presidency of Namibia

NNA News - Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has declared economic emancipation the country’s new national struggle, calling for greater efforts to tackle poverty, unemployment, inequality and corruption.

Addressing a Heroes’ Day ceremony at Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia had achieved political independence and sovereignty but must now focus on improving the material conditions of its people. “Thirty-six years after independence, ours is the struggle for economic emancipation,” the president said.

She called for Namibia’s natural resources to be used more effectively to improve the well-being of its citizens, placing economic transformation at the centre of the country’s next phase of development. Nandi-Ndaitwah identified poverty, youth unemployment, inequality, corruption, institutional inefficiency, hunger and homelessness among the major challenges facing Namibia.

Her remarks came as the country commemorated the 60th anniversary of the beginning of its armed liberation struggle. Heroes’ Day, observed annually on Wednesday, commemorates the 1966 Battle of Omugulugwombashe, regarded as the beginning of Namibia’s armed struggle against South African apartheid rule.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah presents a medal during the Heroes’ Day commemorations in Windhoek on Aug. 26, 2026. Photo: Presidency of Namibia

The president said the country’s current generation has a responsibility to build on the sacrifices made during the liberation struggle rather than relying solely on the achievements of the past. “We cannot sustain ourselves on past glory alone. We honor the past most meaningfully when we build on what those before us sacrificed to achieve,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

Her administration’s development priorities are outlined in Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan, which places emphasis on natural resource beneficiation, value addition and youth empowerment. The focus on beneficiation reflects the government’s stated intention to derive greater economic value from Namibia’s natural resources while creating opportunities for employment, industrial development and broader participation in the economy.

Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah attends the Heroes’ Day ceremony at Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek on Aug. 26, 2026. Photo: Presidency of Namibia

Nandi-Ndaitwah also paid tribute to those who lost their lives during Namibia’s liberation struggle and urged citizens to protect the peace and sovereignty achieved through independence. She called on Namibians to build a society in which integrity is upheld and prosperity is shared more broadly among citizens.

The president’s message places economic transformation alongside the political gains secured since Namibia gained independence in 1990, framing the reduction of poverty and inequality as central to the country’s post-liberation development agenda.