Namibia Elects First Female President Amid Election Controversy

Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party has been declared the winner of last week’s disputed elections, paving the way for the country’s first female president. Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah secured just over 57 percent of the vote, with the main opposition candidate from the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) receiving 25.5 percent. However, the IPC has already stated that it does not recognise the results.

At 72, Nandi-Ndaitwah will become Namibia’s first woman president, continuing the rule of SWAPO, which has governed the country since its independence in 1990. The election, held on November 27, was marred by logistical and technical issues, including a shortage of ballot papers, leading to long delays and long queues.

Election monitors from a southern African human rights organisation claimed that the delays were intentional and widespread. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) admitted to several organisational failures, including the ballot paper shortage and issues with electronic tablets used for voter registration.

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Despite these problems, nearly 77 percent of the country’s 1.5 million registered voters cast their ballots. The ECN has yet to address the opposition’s claims of irregularities.