President Hage Geingob appointed Emma Inamutila Theofelus as the Deputy Minister of Information, Communication, and Technology for a five-year term on March 27, 2020, making her the youngest currently sitting minister in Namibia and Africa (March 2020–March 2025).
Theofelus, who was 23 at the time of her nomination, was made a cabinet minister and member of parliament with the duty of overseeing the COVID-19 official communication programme for Namibia.
She was a young activist and supporter of gender equality, children’s rights, youth employment, and sustainable development before being appointed. Her prior positions as the Speaker of the Namibian Youth Parliament (2013–2018) and the former Junior Mayor of the City of Windhoek equipped her with the leadership abilities needed to succeed in her new position as deputy minister.
“We all had a beginning. I’ve held leadership positions before, and I’ll use the knowledge and expertise I obtained from previous activism to succeed in this new position. I firmly feel that I am moving forward. — Theofelus.
Theofelus was born on March 28, 1996. He graduated from the University of Namibia with a law degree, and he also has a certification in gender studies and African feminism from the University of South Africa. Before being called to serve the nation in a higher ministerial position, she started her career as a legal officer in the Ministry of Justice.
She is a member of the AfriYAN Namibia Chapter, the Commissioner of UNESCO Namibia, and the former Vice Chairperson of the Global Entrepreneurs Network Namibia Board. She now serves on the Leadership Council of Africa REACH as a board member.
She put out a motion in parliament in 2021 to get rid of the fee on sanitary napkins. The motion was put into effect when Lipumbu Shiime, the minister of finance, declared that, under the Tax Revision Act of 2022, which took effect on January 1, 2023, there would be no value-added tax on sanitary napkins.
In her current position, she is primarily concerned with achieving the following key objectives: effectively communicating government programmes; maximising the use of multi-purpose community centres as ICT hubs for communities with limited access to ICT; and eradicating digital disparity in the nation by giving development of ICT infrastructure, climate change, youth participation in parliament, e-parliament, and parliamentary research a top priority.
Her appointment has helped to present Namibia as a nation that values both gender equality and young people. Theofelus builds on an earlier historical accomplishment made by Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, who became Namibia’s first-ever female prime minister in March 2015.
The BBC’s 100 Women for 2021 honoured Theofelus.
