Namibia Elects First Female President, Nandi-Ndaitwah

Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party has won the presidential elections, making history as Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah becomes the country’s first female president.

However, the results have been disputed by the main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC).

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) announced that Nandi-Ndaitwah, aged 72, received over 57% of the votes, while her closest rival, Panduleni Itula of the IPC, got 25.5%. The IPC has rejected the outcome, pointing to irregularities and logistical problems during the election process.

The election took place on November 27 but faced many challenges, including shortages of ballot papers and technical issues with electronic voter registration devices. These problems caused long delays, with some voters waiting up to 12 hours and others leaving without voting. The IPC claims these issues were deliberate attempts to block votes and plans to challenge the results in court.

A human rights group monitoring the election criticized the delays, describing them as intentional. The ECN admitted to some problems, such as overheating of devices and insufficient ballot papers, but defended the overall election process.

Despite the challenges, voter turnout was high, with nearly 77% of the 1.5 million registered voters participating. This election was a critical test for SWAPO, as the party has faced increasing criticism from young voters, a trend seen in other liberation-era parties in southern Africa.

Namibia is rich in resources like uranium and diamonds, but many of its three million citizens have not seen significant benefits. Youth unemployment is especially high, reaching an estimated 46% in 2018. Nandi-Ndaitwah has promised to address these issues by promoting economic diplomacy and attracting investment to create jobs.

Known for her gold-framed glasses and her loyalty to SWAPO’s colors of blue, red, and green, Nandi-Ndaitwah has emphasized her experience and wisdom in leadership. As she takes office, she aims to unite a divided nation, resolve election disputes, and focus on economic growth and job creation.

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