Namibia Inaugurates Its First Woman President

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, who is Namibia's first woman president, is a stalwart of the ruling SWAPO party (Credit: AFP)

Southern Africa's desert nation of Namibia swore in its first woman president Friday after Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah won elections last year that extended the ruling party's 35-year grip on power.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, became one of the few women leaders on the continent in a ceremony attended by heads of state from several African countries including Angola, South Africa and Tanzania.