Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah sworn in as Namibia's first female president

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was sworn in on Friday as the first female president of Namibia after winning elections last year.

At a ceremony that coincided with Namibia's 35th anniversary of independence, Nandi-Ndaitwah assumed office, succeeding outgoing President Nangolo Mbumba, who had taken over power following the death of former President Hage Geingob in 2024.

As Namibia's fifth president since its independence in 1990, Nandi-Ndaitwah won the 2024 presidential election with 57 percent of the vote.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by heads of state from several African countries, as well as leaders of international and regional organizations.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, is a member of Namibia's ruling South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) party, which has been in power since the country gained independence in 1990. She joined the party when it was leading the struggle for independence and has since held several senior positions.

Nandi-Ndaitwah entered the National Assembly in 1990 and became a cabinet minister in 2000, leading the Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Welfare. She later served as minister of information and broadcasting, minister of environment and tourism, and minister of foreign affairs. In February 2024, she became Namibia's first female vice president.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah sworn in as Namibia's first female president

With the May Day holiday coinciding with spring breaks in various regions, China's railway tourism market is heating up earlier than usual, as passenger-friendly measures are rolled out to boost cultural and tourism consumption.

"My family booked this trip for me. I'm just happy to travel with my husband," said a passenger.

In time for the May Day holiday, a new batch of branded tourist trains will be launched to cater to diverse passenger needs. China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) is also rolling out discount policies on tourist special trains as part of broader efforts to revitalize cultural tourism spending.

Meanwhile, accommodation along tourist train routes has begun offering coupon-based discounts.

According to data, the number of tourist trains operating nationwide in the first quarter increased by 440 compared to the same period last year. Moving forward, the integration of railway and tourism will continue to deepen.

"We plan to operate over 2,500 tourist trains this year and develop 50 premium railway tourist routes, so as to continuously energize the railway tourism market and foster new growth drivers in railway-backed consumer services," said Zhang Tao, deputy marketing director of the Passenger Transport Center of China Railway.

China rolls out passenger-friendly railway services ahead of May Day travel rush