The South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) is among the continent’s oldest revolutionary parties, and celebrations of the party’s anniversary were held at Kamanjab Sports Stadium last weekend.

The guest of honour who is also the Party’s President, Madam President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, paid homage to the late founding father of SWAPO, former President Sam Nujoma, who passed away this year. 2025 also marked the party’s first anniversary celebrations without his presence.

In her speech addressing thousands of supporters, President Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged that SWAPO is quickly approaching the 50/50 gender balance target. SWAPO’s President noted that women in Namibia currently hold major positions in government institutions.

Namibia is the only country in the world, to date, where the President, Deputy President, Minister of Security, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, among the most powerful cabinet positions, are all held by women, with half of the cabinet comprised of female members.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah, who became Namibia’s first female Head of State and SWAPO Party President, recently made an announcement in Parliament that “fees had fallen in Namibia.” The announcement followed sustained pressure from opposition legislators advocating for free tertiary education.

Hon. Madam Netumbo also stated that by 2026, tertiary education in Namibia would be free of charge. “I am pleased to announce that from the next academic year, commencing 2026, tertiary education will become 100% subsidized by the government. We have heard your cries,” President Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

She added that the policy aims to improve opportunities for young people amid high levels of youth unemployment and poverty. According to official figures, around 2.1 million Namibians are under the age of 35. However, during the party’s 65th birthday celebration, SWAPO President Nandi-Ndaitwah informed supporters that there are traitors within Namibia’s long-time ruling party.

This claim comes at a time when a SWAPO legislator voted with opposition members during the election of the Deputy Chairperson of the Standing Committee on International Relations, Defence, and Security in the National Assembly last week. She further accused the so-called traitors within SWAPO of focusing solely on personal gain, rather than the interests of the nation and the party.

The accusations made by President Nandi-Ndaitwah have raised eyebrows over the party’s internal cohesion and direction, 65 years after its founding.