DR. ITULA'S "DELIVERANCE" REMARK: A REALITY CHECK FOR NAMIBIA’S NEW PRESIDENT?

In a recent interview with Eagle FM, Dr. Panduleni Itula, the leader of the opposition party IPC, stirred political conversations with his statement:  

"Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, she will need deliverance."

This remark, directed at Namibia’s newly elected first female president, has left many Namibians speculating—what exactly did he mean?  


A Call for Real Change or a Political Jab?  

Dr. Itula’s words seem to suggest that President Nandi-Ndaitwah faces an uphill battle in delivering on promises of reform. Having been part of the SWAPO-led government for years, she is no stranger to the system’s deep-rooted corruption and inefficiencies. The real question is: can she truly break free from the party’s legacy of unfulfilled promises, or will her presidency be just another chapter in the same old SWAPO playbook?  

If she is serious about cleaning up corruption, she will have to do so with minimal interference from the same political elites who have long shaped Namibia’s governance. This includes resisting both internal party pressures and external influences—whether local or Western. Without a strong independent stance, she risks falling into the cycle of broken promises that have defined past administrations.  


The Hope vs. The Reality 

Every newly elected SWAPO president enters office with grand promises of change, only for citizens to witness little to no tangible progress. Many Namibians are fed up with this pattern. They want action, not just words.  

So, was Dr. Itula’s statement just a sharp critique, or a genuine warning that true reform requires a level of political "deliverance"? Either way, it raises an important conversation:  

Will Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah be the leader who finally steers Namibia toward genuine progress, or will it be business as usual?  


Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments!

Location: Windhoek, Namibia

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