Credit: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah/Instagram Namibia has elected its first female president, with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah declared the winner of the presidential election according to the results released by the country’s electoral commission– marking a historic moment for the country. The 72-year-old garnered 57% of the vote, securing her position as Namibia’s new leader and extending the ruling SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation) party’s 34-year leadership since independence in 1990. Her closest contender, Panduleni Itula , a 67-year-old dentist and leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), came second with 25.
5%, a decrease from the 29% he achieved in 2019. SWAPO, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s party, won 53% of the parliamentary vote—its lowest share since Namibia’s independence—while IPC secured 20%, emerging as the second-largest party. Netumbo, a seasoned politician and former vice-president, has has been in public service from her days in Namibia’s independence movement in the 1970s.
She was promoted from foreign minister to vice-president in February, after president Hage Geingob passed on while in office. Speaking after being declared president-elect, she said , “The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability.” The election wasn’t without its challenges.
Logistical issues, including ballot shortages, led to a three-day voting extension in some areas. While opposition parties, including the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), h.
