Namibia Elects Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as First Female President with 57% Vote Share

Dec 3, 2024, 06:00 PM

Namibia has elected Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, a 72-year-old candidate from the ruling SWAPO party, as its first female president. Nandi-Ndaitwah secured 57% of the vote, defeating her main challenger, Panduleni Itula, who garnered 25%. The election faced numerous challenges, including technical problems that led to a three-day extension of voting. Despite these issues, the electoral commission announced Nandi-Ndaitwah's victory, marking a historic moment for the country. However, the opposition, led by Itula, has rejected the results, citing electoral malpractices. The SWAPO party, in power since Namibia's independence nearly 35 years ago, also maintained its majority in the parliamentary elections, though it experienced its worst-ever electoral showing.