Wednesday, 04 December 2024 04:43

Namibia elects first female president

Rate this item
(0 votes)
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia's ruling SWAPO party has been elected president and will be the country's first female leader, results released by the country's electoral commission showed on Tuesday.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, is the current vice president. Her victory will extend SWAPO's 34 years in power since it led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

She received roughly 57% of valid votes in the presidential race, according to a breakdown given by the Electoral Commission of Namibia.

Nandi-Ndaitwah needed to secure more than 50% of the votes to win.

"The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability," Nandi-Ndaitwah said after being declared president-elect.

She joined SWAPO in the 1960s when it was fighting for independence and has served in numerous senior roles including foreign minister in the democratic era.

Her main challenger in this election was Panduleni Itula from the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) party, who came second with roughly 26% of votes.

Namibians voted separately for the National Assembly. SWAPO won a majority there, securing 51 of the 96 elected seats. The IPC won 20 seats and will be the official opposition.

The IPC has said it will challenge the results in court, calling the electoral process "deeply flawed".

The Nov. 27 vote was marred by technical difficulties and ballot paper shortages, leading to a delay in results as voting was extended in some places.

Political analysts had said a SWAPO victory was uncertain due to growing frustration with high levels of unemployment and inequality, but that the party retained strong roots in rural areas and loyalty among older voters due to the national liberation struggle.

Analyst Rakkel Andreas said Nandi-Ndaitwah had managed to unite different factions within SWAPO and that her reputation had not been tarnished by corruption allegations, unlike other party members.

"She is a stateswoman. She has been in some form of leadership since we gained independence," Andreas said. "She understands the system."

 

Reuters

January 13, 2025

Fuel prices in Nigeria likely to surge as Brent crude rises above $81

Fuel prices in Nigeria are expected to climb further as Brent crude prices surged above…
January 11, 2025

Ohanaeze Ndigbo gets new President-General

John Azuta-Mbata, a former senator, has been elected as the new president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,…
January 12, 2025

Why some animals appear to mourn their dead

Grief has long thought to be a human trait, but other animals – from killer…
January 04, 2025

Shy man cuts off 4 fingers instead of telling boss he wanted to quit his…

A 32-year-old Indian man admitted to cutting off four fingers on his left hand to…
January 13, 2025

Bandits attack Zamfara mosque, kidnap dozens of worshippers

Armed assailants launched an attack on a mosque in Birnin Yaro village, Zamfara state, kidnapping…
January 13, 2025

What to know after Day 1054 of Russia-Ukraine war

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine won’t reclaim all Russian-held territories – Trump adviser It is not possible…
December 25, 2024

Stem cell therapy to correct heart failure in children could 'transform lives'

Renowned visionary English physician William Harvey wrote in 1651 about how our blood contains all…
January 08, 2025

NFF appoints new Super Eagles head coach

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Éric Sékou Chelle as the new Head Coach…

NEWSSCROLL TEAM: 'Sina Kawonise: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; Prof Wale Are Olaitan: Editorial Consultant; Femi Kawonise: Head, Production & Administration; Afolabi Ajibola: IT Manager;
Contact Us: [email protected] Tel/WhatsApp: +234 811 395 4049

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 NewsScroll. All rights reserved.