Also known as: First gentleman Ndaitwah · Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah · lieutenant general Denga Ndaitwah · Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · His Excellency Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · President Ndaitwah · retired Lieutenant General Denga Ndaitwah · the former Chief of the Defence Force · Epafras Ndenga Ndaitwah · lieutenant general (retired) Denga Ndaitwah · General (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · Lieutenant General (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · First Gentleman Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · First gentleman · Lieutenant General (Retired) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · Denga Epaphras Ndaitwah · First Gentleman retired Lieutenant General Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah · General Denga Ndaitwah · First Gentleman General Denga Ndaitwah
First Gentleman Lieutenant General (Rtd) who established the DEN Impact Foundation to address youth education, sports, agriculture and vocational training challenges in Namibia.
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August 2026
Windhoek Observer
First Gentleman Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwahsaid the findingsconfirmed concerns raised during community engagements conducted by his office
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“First Gentleman Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah said the findings confirmed concerns raised during community engagements conducted by his office.”
First Gentleman Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwahhas launchedthe DEN Impact Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at addressing challenges facing Namibian youth
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“The First Gentleman Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah has launched the DEN Impact Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at addressing challenges facing Namibian youth, particularly boys and young men, through education, sports, agriculture and vocational training.”
First Gentleman retired Lieutenant General Epaphras Denga Ndaitwahpaid tribute to Namibia's former First Ladies, includingMadam Kovambo Nujoma, Madam Penehupifo Pohamba, Dr Monica Geingos and Madam Sustjie Mbumba
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“First Gentleman retired Lieutenant General Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah paid tribute to Namibia's former First Ladies, including Madam Kovambo Nujoma, Madam Penehupifo Pohamba, Dr Monica Geingos and Madam Sustjie Mbumba, thanking them for paving the way and laying a strong foundation on which he could build.”
Lieutenant General (Retired) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwahbecame patron ofthe tournament after being approached in 2022
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“Nande said organisers approached Ndaitwah in 2022 to become its patron, after which the tournament was revived and expanded, with the first major edition taking place in 2023.”
Ndaitwahcalled forurgent, coordinated community action targeting boys
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“The Ohangwena region recorded about 1 750 school dropouts in 2025, with boys accounting for the majority, prompting the first gentleman to call for urgent, coordinated community action targeting boys.”
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwahurgedboys in Kavango West not to abandon their education
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“First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah has urged boys in the Kavango West region not to abandon their education, warning that poor results, peer pressure, embarrassment and financial hardship should not determine their future.”
Chula Chula FC were crowned champions of the First Gentleman Lieutenant General (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah Annual Sports Tournament after defeating DT Meds on penalties in the football final in Okongo. The three-day tournament from 20 to 23 August brought together about 23 teams competing in youth and legends football, netball and volleyball, with Namibia Correctional Services winning both netball and volleyball titles.
Chula Chula FC were crowned champions of the First Gentleman Lieutenant General (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah Annual Sports Tournament after defeating DT Meds on penalties in the football final in Okongo. The three-day tournament from 20 to 23 August brought together about 23 teams competing in youth and legends football, netball and volleyball, with Namibia Correctional Services winning both netball and volleyball titles.
Research by UNAM found that more Namibian boys than girls repeat grades and leave school early, while women have made up the majority of tertiary students and graduates for over three decades. Male learners had a promotion rate of 75.1% versus 78.4% for females, a repetition rate of 18.5% versus 14.7%, and a school-leaving rate of 6.3% versus 4.9%.
The First Gentleman, Lt Gen (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, has launched the DEN Impact Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation aimed at addressing challenges facing Namibian youth through education, sports, agriculture and vocational training, operating under a four-year strategic plan with four strategic pillars.
The 2026 edition of First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah's Annual Sports Tournament began at Elia Weyulu Sports Field in Okongo, Ohangwena Region, with 24 youth soccer teams, 10 Legends teams, five netball teams, and two volleyball teams competing over four days through Sunday, with prize money across all codes.
Research presented at the launch of the Denga Epaphras Ndaitwah Impact Foundation shows girls outnumber boys in secondary and tertiary enrolment, with boys experiencing higher repetition and school-leaving rates. The foundation aims to provide targeted interventions to address declining male participation and academic outcomes while complementing existing support for girls.
The Denga Epaphras Ndaitwah (DEN) Impact Foundation, established by First Gentleman retired Lieutenant General Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, was officially launched to empower Namibia's boys and young men through education, sport, agriculture, vocational training and mentorship. The foundation's four key pillars are agriculture, sport, education, and vocational and technical training.
The First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah Annual Sports Tournament will run 20–23 August 2026 in Okongo, Ohangwena Region, featuring youth soccer, legends soccer, netball and volleyball with prize money across the four codes. The tournament was initially launched in 2003, became inactive, and was revived in 2022 with Ndaitwah as patron, with its first major edition in 2023.
Ohangwena recorded about 1,750 school dropouts in 2025, with boys accounting for the majority, prompting the First Gentleman to call for coordinated community action. The region recorded the highest number of school dropouts among all regions visited during the First Gentleman's national consultations on the boy-child.
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah addressed boys in Kavango West, urging them not to abandon education despite peer pressure, embarrassment and financial hardship. Education director Pontianus Musore reported that 650 pupils dropped out of school during the first semester this year, with boys making up the majority, citing economic hardship, child-headed households, poor parental involvement, limited supervision and limited hostel facilities as factors.
Minister of gender equality and child welfare Emma Kantema said Namibia cannot afford to leave boys behind, and that investing in boys leads to stronger families, safer communities and a brighter future for the country. She was speaking at an engagement session in Nkurenkuru themed on empowering the boy child and creating responsible men.
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah has advocated for an inclusive approach to gender equality, arguing that empowerment of women and girls and the well-being of boys are not competing priorities. Speaking at a fundraising gala of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development in Angola, he said men and women are mutually inclusive partners and cited global data showing boys lagging in education and facing crises in mental health and social development.
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah has called for an inclusive approach to gender equality, arguing that empowering women and girls and addressing the well-being of boys are complementary rather than competing priorities. He cited global data showing that 132 million primary and secondary age boys are out of school worldwide and proposed renaming the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development to include male spouses.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah visited China General Nuclear Power Corporation during a state visit to China, calling for stronger cooperation on clean energy, uranium value addition, technology transfer and skills development. Namibia aims to move beyond exporting raw uranium and develop partnerships that support industrialisation and job creation in the clean energy sector.
The 11th edition of the First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah Sports Tournament will be held at Elia Weyulu Sports Field in Okongo village, Ohangwena Region, from 20–23 August, featuring youth soccer, legends soccer, netball and volleyball with prize money across four categories.
At a high-level conference in Accra, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the UN resolution on the Transatlantic Slave Trade marks the beginning of a long journey toward truth, healing and restorative justice for Africans and the diaspora, linking it to Namibia's own pursuit of restorative justice.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is participating in a high-level international conference in Accra, Ghana, from 17–19 June 2026, aimed at developing practical steps to implement a United Nations resolution on the trafficking and enslavement of Africans. The conference brings together heads of state, ministers, and civil society representatives to advance discussions on reparatory justice, historical recognition, and restitution.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah paid tribute to Ombara Kahimemua Nguvauva's legacy during the 130th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Otjunda in Okahandja, calling on Namibians to uphold unity and reject division as the country reflects on its liberation history.
First Gentleman Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah praised anti-colonial Ovambanderu Chief Kahimemua Nguvauva at a 130-year commemoration, saying the chief chose dignity over surrender when confronted by colonial power and was executed on 12 June 1896 for his refusal to abandon his people's freedom and identity.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah paid tribute to Ombara Kahimemua Nguvauva at a commemoration of the 130th anniversary of his execution in Okahandja, calling on Namibians to uphold unity and reject division as the country reflects on its liberation history.
IPC president Panduleni Itula has raised questions about a proposed N$612 million solar power project linked to the Tsumeb smelter, alleging involvement of companies associated with President Nandi-Ndaitwah's sons and calling for full public disclosure of the project's documentation. Itula stated the issue is not whether the President's family may legally participate in business ventures, but whether sufficient transparency exists when politically connected individuals are linked to projects involving public institutions.
First Gentleman General (Rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah has urged urgent national action to address boys' disengagement from Namibia's education system and support their mental health, citing Ministry of Education data showing 8,720 boys dropped out of school in 2023 and a 2023 UNICEF report finding that only 76% of boys progressed from Grade 5 to Grade 6 compared to 85% of girls. Ndaitwah attributed the trend to absent fathers, lack of mentorship, substance abuse, violence, and gaps in sexual and reproductive health education, and announced that his office is developing national programmes targeting educational disengagement, mentorship, mental health, and father involvement.
An opinion piece argues that Swapo, like other former liberation movements in government, has failed to deliver on promises and uses patriotic narratives of its struggle history to justify remaining in state control, drawing parallels to critiques of post-colonial African governments by Frantz Fanon and Angolan author Pepetela.
First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah has called on leaders to adopt a self-critical and forward-thinking approach that reflects, adapts and focuses on present challenges rather than the past. Speaking at a public lecture on strategic leadership at the International University of Management, he distinguished leadership—getting people to want to do what needs to be done—from management, emphasizing that both are mutually inclusive.
Hope Initiatives Southern Africa Namibia hosted an event where stakeholders, including the First Gentleman, discussed challenges facing boys in education and the promotion of positive masculinity rooted in responsibility, empathy, and accountable leadership. The First Gentleman cited 2023 data showing 8,720 boys dropped out of school and called for evidence-based interventions and strategic programs to support boys' holistic development.
An opinion piece praises the 36th Namibian Independence Day celebrations held in all regions as a significant moment for national unity and a counter to factionalism and tribalism, noting that regional events reflect Namibian sovereignty and the freedom of movement that citizens have exercised since 1990.
Retired Lieutenant General Denga Ndaitwah has warned that Namibia's reliance on imported food leaves the country vulnerable to famine and economic manipulation, and urges the government to support commercial and emerging farmers through affordable loans and subsidies to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.
Namibia's First Gentleman Lt Gen (rtd) Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah delivered a presentation to senior military officers at the Namibia Command and Staff College on strategic leadership, management, and elements of national power, emphasizing the importance of effective leadership, sound policy formulation, and implementation to achieve national objectives.
Panduleni Itula, leader of the Independent Patriots for Change, presented evidence he says shows the president's family members hold interests across the oil and gas sector—including the president's son operating a diesel distribution business at Lüderitz port and the first gentleman serving as patron of a petroleum industry forum—and called on Parliament to reject a petroleum amendment bill that would transfer licensing authority to the Presidency.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah has challenged Independent Patriots for Change leader Panduleni Itula to provide empirical evidence linking her family to Namibia's upstream oil sector, reiterating her denial of direct or indirect interests. Itula held his third oil-related press conference in less than three weeks, presenting what he termed documented evidence of a systematic network involving the president's sons and husband across the petroleum value chain, including fuel imports, distribution, and investments.
Liberation hero and former Cabinet minister Erkki Nghimtina was buried at Eenhana Memorial Shrine on Saturday, with Vice President Lucia Witbooi, Cabinet ministers and senior government officials in attendance. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah praised him as a courageous cadre who served the nation with selfless dedication.