Nashandi was removed from the SWAPO list for the 2009 general election because she had not registered to vote, a requirement under Namibian law.
As a refugee in 1978, she survived the Battle of Cassinga, a South African airborne attack on SWAPO across the border in Angola.
She later received military training and joined the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), SWAPO's armed wing during the Namibian War of Independence.
Nashandi had no vacation time to use and thus had to resign, but she was nearly guaranteed a place in the National Assembly due to her comfortable position on the SWAPO list.
[7] It was widely expected that Nashandi would register to vote in the 2009 election and be appointed as one of the presidential additional six nominees for the National Assembly,[6] but this did not occur.