The candidate from the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has been proclaimed the winner of Namibia’s presidential election, becoming the nation’s first female president.
Nandi-Ndaitwah (72) secured more than 57% of the vote in last week’s contentious election, while her nearest competitor, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), garnered 26%.
The official announcement was made on Tuesday evening by Elsie Nghikembua, chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), in the capital, Windhoek. Nghikembua stated:
“In the presidential elections, 15 candidates participated… By the powers vested in me as the chairperson of the ECN, I hereby declare that Nandi-Ndaitwah has been duly elected the president of Namibia.”
Due to logistical challenges and a three-day extension of voting in certain areas, Itula declared on Saturday that his party would not recognize the results, alleging electoral irregularities.
As a result, several opposition groups chose to boycott the announcement of the results.
SWAPO, which has governed Namibia since its independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990, remains the dominant political force in the country.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, a long-time SWAPO member and current vice president, has held various prominent government positions over the last 25 years. She was appointed vice president in February, after President Hage Geingob passed away during his term.
Upon taking office, Nandi-Ndaitwah will join an exclusive group of female heads of state in Africa, with Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan being the only other woman president on the continent at present.
Itula, a trained dentist, is seen as a more dynamic figure compared to Nandi-Ndaitwah. In the 2019 presidential race, he significantly reduced SWAPO’s share of the vote, from 87% to 56%.
The IPC has stated its intention to challenge the results in court and has called on voters who were unable to cast their ballots due to issues with the electoral process to file complaints with the police.
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