Wednesday, 04 December 2024 04:43

Namibia elects first female president

Rate this item
(0 votes)
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia's ruling SWAPO party has been elected president and will be the country's first female leader, results released by the country's electoral commission showed on Tuesday.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, is the current vice president. Her victory will extend SWAPO's 34 years in power since it led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

She received roughly 57% of valid votes in the presidential race, according to a breakdown given by the Electoral Commission of Namibia.

Nandi-Ndaitwah needed to secure more than 50% of the votes to win.

"The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability," Nandi-Ndaitwah said after being declared president-elect.

She joined SWAPO in the 1960s when it was fighting for independence and has served in numerous senior roles including foreign minister in the democratic era.

Her main challenger in this election was Panduleni Itula from the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) party, who came second with roughly 26% of votes.

Namibians voted separately for the National Assembly. SWAPO won a majority there, securing 51 of the 96 elected seats. The IPC won 20 seats and will be the official opposition.

The IPC has said it will challenge the results in court, calling the electoral process "deeply flawed".

The Nov. 27 vote was marred by technical difficulties and ballot paper shortages, leading to a delay in results as voting was extended in some places.

Political analysts had said a SWAPO victory was uncertain due to growing frustration with high levels of unemployment and inequality, but that the party retained strong roots in rural areas and loyalty among older voters due to the national liberation struggle.

Analyst Rakkel Andreas said Nandi-Ndaitwah had managed to unite different factions within SWAPO and that her reputation had not been tarnished by corruption allegations, unlike other party members.

"She is a stateswoman. She has been in some form of leadership since we gained independence," Andreas said. "She understands the system."

 

Reuters

May 30, 2025

Nigeria's $3bn fashion drain: How import dependence undermines local textile industry

Nigeria's fashion sector is hemorrhaging billions of dollars annually due to overwhelming reliance on imported…
June 01, 2025

‘Nigeria under siege by urban bandits, poverty weaponized’ – Atiku, El-Rufai warn

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have issued a scathing…
June 01, 2025

Her daughter was taken and sent abroad - 44 years later, they found each other

The last memory Han Tae-soon has of her daughter as a child is in May…
May 31, 2025

Tools made of whale bones reveal inventiveness of prehistoric people

Artifacts found at archeological sites in France and Spain along the Bay of Biscay shoreline…
May 31, 2025

Troops kill 60 terrorists and top ISWAP commander in Borno, as FCT mourns 11 killed…

Nigerian troops have killed over 60 terrorists in Borno State during a series of operations,…
June 01, 2025

What to know after Day 1193 of Russia-Ukraine war

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russia launches air attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, mayor says Ukraine's air defence…
May 29, 2025

AI system resorts to blackmail when its developers try to replace it

An artificial intelligence model has the ability to blackmail developers — and isn’t afraid to…
May 13, 2025

Nigeria's Flying Eagles qualify for World Cup after dramatic win over Senegal

Nigeria's U-20 national football team, the Flying Eagles, have secured their place at the 2025…

NEWSSCROLL TEAM: 'Sina Kawonise: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; Afolabi Ajibola: IT Manager;
Contact Us: [email protected] Tel/WhatsApp: +234 811 395 4049

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 NewsScroll. All rights reserved.