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

Namibian Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah 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 secured 57 per cent of the vote, according to the official results on Tuesday, defying expectations of a possible run-off.

After being declared president-elect, Nandi-Ndaitwah stated, “The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability.” Her victory strengthens the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party’s 34-year rule since Namibia’s independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990, though the result remains contested, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, the opposition parties have rejected the election outcome, citing technical issues, including ballot paper shortages and long delays that led to the extension of voting until Saturday. Some voters abandoned the polls after waiting up to 12 hours. The opposition has criticised the extension as illegal and vowed to challenge the results in court.

Panduleni Itula, the main opposition candidate from the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), trailed Nandi-Ndaitwah with 25.5 per cent of the vote, Al Jazeera reported, citing the election commission. He condemned the election as unfair, stating that the rule of law had been violated and labelling the results illegitimate.

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

Nandi-Ndaitwah was appointed vice president in February after the death of President Hage Geingob. 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-Ndaitwah began her political career in the 1970s, joining Namibia’s underground independence movement, and returned from the UK to join parliament in 1990. She has held several ministerial positions over the years.