Windhoek – Namibia’s newly elected President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has announced that her government will introduce free higher education at all state universities and technical colleges starting next year, a move that casts an embarrassing spotlight on Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s longstanding, unfulfilled promises.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, who became Namibia’s first female head of state when she was sworn in last month, made the landmark announcement during her maiden State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Parliament on Thursday, 24 April.
“I am pleased to announce that from the next academic year, commencing 2026, tertiary education will become 100% subsidised by the government,” she said to loud applause.
Namibia already offers free education at public primary and secondary schools, although parents still bear the costs of uniforms, stationery, books, and hostel fees.
The new policy will remove all tuition and registration fees at public universities and vocational training centres — a bold step aimed at tackling youth unemployment and poverty in the country of just over 3 million people, where 2.1 million citizens are under the age of 35.
Two of Namibia’s seven universities are state-run and will fall under the new scheme, as will all seven of the country’s government-owned vocational training centres.
In stark contrast, President Mnangagwa, leader of Namibia’s sister revolutionary party, ZANU PF, has failed to deliver on his promises of free education nearly a decade after seizing power through a military coup in November 2017.
Upon taking office, Mnangagwa repeatedly vowed that his government would introduce free education “from early childhood to secondary school” as part of what he called a “New Dispensation” agenda.
During the 2018 election campaign, ZANU PF’s manifesto boldly declared that Zimbabwe would “ensure access to quality and affordable education for all” and that free education at primary and secondary levels would be introduced progressively.
However, these promises have remained empty rhetoric. Instead, under Mnangagwa’s rule, education in Zimbabwe has become even more commercialised and expensive.
Annual school fees have soared far beyond the reach of ordinary families, and public schools frequently turn away students unable to pay exorbitant levies.
Even at the tertiary level, tuition fees and accommodation costs have spiraled, pushing higher education further out of reach for many.
In 2022, amid mounting public pressure, the Zimbabwean government announced a supposed implementation of free primary education beginning in 2023.
Yet in reality, parents continue to bear heavy costs for tuition, school development levies, uniforms, and materials.
Teachers have also been on frequent strikes over poor salaries and working conditions, further crippling the education sector.
Critics argue that Mnangagwa’s broken promises reflect a broader pattern of governance failure and dishonesty.
Far from ushering in a “Second Republic” of prosperity and reform as he had claimed, Mnangagwa’s tenure has been characterised by economic collapse, political repression, and widespread disillusionment.
In comparison, Namibia’s decisive move to provide free higher education stands as a powerful testament to what political will and accountable leadership can achieve.
It also highlights the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe, where public trust in the government’s promises continues to erode.