Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, representing the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), has been elected as Namibia’s first female president after a contentious election.
The electoral commission announced that Nandi-Ndaitwah secured over 57% of the votes, while her nearest competitor, Panduleni Itula, received 26%.
However, the election faced logistical challenges, including a three-day polling extension in some areas. On Saturday, Itula accused the commission of electoral malpractice and declared his party would not accept the results.
In protest, most opposition parties boycotted the announcement of the results on Tuesday evening in the capital, Windhoek, according to ‘The Namibian’.
“The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability,” a reuters news agency announced.
The ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) has governed Namibia, a vast but sparsely populated nation in southern Africa, since gaining independence in 1990.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, a party veteran and the current vice-president, is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in senior government roles.
Once sworn in, Nandi-Ndaitwah will join an exclusive group, as Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan is currently Africa’s only female president.
Her closest rival, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), is a trained dentist and charismatic figure. In the 2019 election, Itula significantly eroded Swapo’s dominance, reducing its vote share from 87% to 56%.
The IPC has announced plans to challenge the election results in court and urged those who were unable to vote due to alleged electoral mismanagement to report the issue to the police.
Swapo, which led Namibia’s liberation struggle against apartheid South Africa, faced speculation before last Wednesday’s election that it might suffer a decline similar to other liberation movements in the region.
In May, South Africa’s African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority, and in October, Botswana’s Democratic Party was ousted after nearly 60 years in power