Namibia elects Vice President Nandi-Ndaitawah as the country’s first female President

Namibia’s Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwa has been elected as the country’s first female president, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday, citing official results released by the country’s electoral commission.

The 72-year-old won 57 percent of the vote, defying expectations of a possible runoff, according to official results on Tuesday.

After being declared president-elect, Nandi-Ndaitwah said, “The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability.” his/her victory cemented the 34-year rule of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) party since Namibia’s independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990, Al Jazeera reported, although the result remains disputed.

According to Al Jazeera, opposition parties have rejected the election results, citing technical issues including a shortage of ballot papers and long delays, which led to voting being extended to Saturday. Some voters left the polls after waiting for up to 12 hours. The opposition has criticized the extension as illegal and vowed to challenge the results in court.

Main opposition candidate Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) trailed Nandi-Ndaitwa with 25.5 percent of the vote, Al Jazeera reported, citing the electoral commission. he/she condemned the election as unfair and violated the rule of law and described the results as illegitimate.

“The rule of law has been grossly violated, and we cannot call these elections free, fair and legitimate by any means,” Itula said on Saturday, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Nandi-Ndaitawah was appointed vice president following the death of President Hage Geingob in February. Although SWAPO has ruled Namibia for decades, it has faced growing discontent, particularly among young voters who are frustrated by high unemployment and persistent inequality.

According to Al Jazeera, Nandi-Ndaitwa began her political career by joining Namibia’s underground independence movement in the 1970s, and returned from the UK in 1990 to join parliament. he/she has held several ministerial posts over the years.