{{short description|Namibian politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Emma Theofelus | image = Emma Theofelus et Asekantsler Mariin Ratniku (visiit Namiibiasse 26-29.03.2023) (cropped).jpg | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|03|28}} | birth_place = Namibia | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = University of Namibia | office = Minister of Information, Communication and Technology | term_start = 9 February 2024 | term_end = | president = Hage Geingob<br />Nangolo Mbumba<br />Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah | prime_minister = | successor = | predecessor = | office1 = | term_start1 = | term_end1 = | president1 = | prime_minister1 = | successor1 = | predecessor1 = | preceded = Peya Mushelenga }}
'''Emma Inamutila Theofelus''' (born 28 March 1996) is a Namibian politician, currently serving as the Minister of Information, Communication, and Technology as of 9 February 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-22 |title=At 27, Emma Theofelus is the current youngest serving government minister in Africa |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/africa/At-27-Emma-Theofelus-is-the-current-youngest-serving-government-minister-in-Africa-1719167 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en}}</ref> Theofelus was 23 years old at the time of her appointment in March 2020 and is the current youngest woman government minister in both Africa and Namibia.<ref>{{Cite web | last=Awal | first=Mohammed | title=Emma Theofilus is Namibia's youngest minister and MP at 23 | website=face2face Africa | date=25 March 2020 | url=https://face2faceafrica.com/article/emma-theofilus-is-namibias-youngest-minister-and-mp-at-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-03-26 |title=At 23, Emma Theofilus Becomes Namibia's Youngest Minister and Member of Parliament {{!}} How Africa News |url=https://howafrica.com/at-23-emma-theofilus-becomes-namibias-youngest-minister-and-member-of-parliament/ |access-date=2023-02-24 |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224142719/https://howafrica.com/at-23-emma-theofilus-becomes-namibias-youngest-minister-and-member-of-parliament/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Career == Theofelus served as a Junior Mayor in the City of Windhoek Junior Council from 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Reporter |date=2013-11-20 |title=Junior Mayor, the voice of the youth! |url=https://neweralive.na/junior-mayor-voice-youth/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |language=en-US}}</ref> She is a former youth activist, having served as deputy speaker of the Children's Parliament from 2013 to 2018.<ref name="Theofilus, Emma">{{Cite web|title=Theofilus, Emma|url=https://www.parliament.na/index.php/national-assembly/members/non-voting-members/1609-emma-theofilus|access-date=2021-05-21|website=www.parliament.na|archive-date=2021-04-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423140523/https://www.parliament.na/index.php/national-assembly/members/non-voting-members/1609-emma-theofilus|url-status=dead}}</ref> She started her career after she completed a law degree<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=read&id=89562 | title=Nam's youngest MP takes office | last=Ngatjiheue | first=Charmaine | date=24 March 2020 | newspaper=The Namibian | language=en | access-date=19 April 2020 | archive-date=22 January 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122170611/https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=read&id=89562 | url-status=dead }}</ref> at the University of Namibia, as a legal officer in the Ministry of Justice. The call from the State House came as a surprise.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plessis |first=Carien du |date=2020-04-17 |title=Namibia's youngest MP enters the crucible as Africa's youth lead the way |url=http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/17/namibias-youngest-mp-enters-the-crucible-as-africa-youth-lead-way-emma-theofelus |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
The appointment of younger leaders to high office is not entirely new in Africa.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/17/namibias-youngest-mp-enters-the-crucible-as-africa-youth-lead-way-emma-theofelus | title=Namibia's youngest MP enters the crucible as Africa's youth lead the way | website=TheGuardian.com | date=17 April 2020 }}</ref> Theophilus was appointed Namibia's deputy minister of Information, Communication, and Technology in March 2020, as part of the late Dr. Hage Geingob's second-term cabinet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://neweralive.na/posts/born-free-prepares-for-ministerial-job|title=Born-free prepares for ministerial job|last=Ikela|first=Selma|date=2020-03-24|website=New Era Live|language=en-ZA|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-19}}</ref> In her role, she was tasked with assisting in leading public communication on preventative steps against Namibia's COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news | last=du Plessis | first=Carien | url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/17/namibias-youngest-mp-enters-the-crucible-as-africa-youth-lead-way-emma-theofelus | title=Namibia's youngest MP enters the crucible as Africa's youth lead the way | date=17 April 2020|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-19 | language=en-GB | issn=0261-3077}}</ref> At the time of cabinet appointment, Theophilus was 23 and one of Africa's youngest cabinet ministers.<ref name=":0" /> She is also a board member of the ''National Council of Higher Education''.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Ms. Emma Inamutila Theofelus | publisher=NCHE | accessdate=24 April 2020 | url=http://www.nche.org.na/about-us/ms-emma-inamutila-theofelus}}</ref>
== Achievements == In 2020, she was judged to be one of the 100 most influential African women, the youngest person on this list.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://neweralive.na/posts/geingos-theofelus-among-100-most-influential-women | title=Geingos, Theofelus among 100 most influential women | last=Siririka | first=Paheja | newspaper=New Era | date=21 August 2020 | language=en}}</ref> In 2021, Theophelus was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of the year.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=2021-12-07 |title=BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59514598 |access-date=2022-12-16}}</ref> She also received the 2022 United Nations Population Award for her work advocating for women’s empowerment and adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Namibia<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022-06-14 |title=Pioneering 25-year-old parliamentarian from Namibia and National Population and Family Planning Board in Indonesia win 2022 UN Population Award |url=https://esaro.unfpa.org/en/news/pioneering-25-year-old-parliamentarian-namibia-and-national-population-and-family-planning |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=UNFPA ESARO |language=en}}</ref>
Theofelus holds a Diploma in African Feminism and Gender Studies as well as a Diploma in Business Management.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Theofelus, Emma |url=https://www.parliament.na/dt_team/theofilus-emma/ |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=Namibian of Parliament |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2021, Theofelus proposed a motion to remove the tax on sanitary pads in Parliament. In 2022, the motion was put into effect when the Minister of Finance, Iipumbu Shiimi, announced the abolishment of Value Added Tax on sanitary pads, according to the Tax Amendment Act of 2022, effective since 1 January 2023.<ref>{{Cite news | title=VAT abolished on sanitary wear | url=https://neweralive.na/posts/vat-abolished-on-sanitary-wear |access-date=7 January 2023 | newspaper=New Era | language=en-ZA}}</ref>
In March 2025, she announced plans to introduce YouTube monetization and digital payment solutions such as PayPal and Apple Pay in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mukokobi |first=Pricilla |date=2025-03-07 |title=Namibia set to unlock digital earnings for content creators |url=https://neweralive.na/namibia-set-to-unlock-digital-earnings-for-content-creators/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Interests == Her legislative interests are parliamentary oversight, parliamentary self-development, E-parliament, climate change legislation, youth participation in parliament, and parliamentary research.<ref name="Theofilus, Emma"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote}} *{{cite web|publisher=Republic of Namibia: Ministry of Information and Communication Technology| title=Deputy Minister | url=http://www.mict.gov.na/deputy-minister1}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theofelus, Emma}} Category:Government ministers of Namibia Category:Women government ministers of Namibia Category:University of Namibia alumni Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Namibian women politicians Category:21st-century Namibian politicians Category:SWAPO politicians Category:Women members of the National Assembly (Namibia) Category:Members of the National Assembly (Namibia)