Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s vice president, has been elected the country’s first female president after she secured 57% of votes in the November 27 election. A veteran SWAPO party member, her win extends SWAPO’s 34-year rule of Namibia, which began after the party led the country to independence in 1990. Nandi-Ndaitwah’s main challenger, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), came second with 26% of the votes. Analysts attribute Nandi-Ndaitwah’s success to her unblemished reputation and ability to unify the party’s different factions. Alongside the presidential win, SWAPO secured 51 of 96 National Assembly seats, maintaining its majority. Nandi-Ndaitwah, who has held leadership roles since independence, hailed the election as a vote for peace and stability in Namibia’s democratic future. However, the IPC plans to challenge the results, citing procedural flaws, including the extension of voting in certain places due to technical difficulties and ballot paper shortages.
SOURCE: VOA NEWS
