WINDHOEK, Dec. 3 — Namibia has appointed its first female permanent judge to the Supreme Court, marking a milestone in the country’s judicial system.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah made the appointment of Esi Malaika Schimming-Chase on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, the Office of the Judiciary announced Tuesday.
Her term will begin on March 1, 2026. Schimming-Chase was appointed a High Court judge on April 1, 2021, and has served as an acting judge of the Supreme Court since her initial appointment in April 2023.
Before joining the Bench, she practiced as a member of the Society of Advocates from 2003 to 2021.
Alongside her appointment, the Judicial Service Commission also named five acting judges to the Supreme Court for one-year terms running from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026.
Schimming-Chase’s elevation marks a significant female appointment to a key national institution since Nandi-Ndaitwah became Namibia‘s first female head of state in March. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
