Namibia Elects Nandi-Ndaitwah As First Female President

On Tuesday, Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party was announced as the winner of last week’s contested elections, paving the way for the southern African nation’s first female president. However, the main opposition has already stated that it does not recognize the results of the vote.

Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah took just over 57 percent of ballots followed by the candidate for the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) with 25.5 percent, the election authority announced.

The 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah becomes the first woman to rule the mineral-rich southern African country that has been governed by the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) since independence in 1990.

The November 27 election was extended twice as logistical and technical problems, including a shortage of ballot papers, led to long queues.

Some voters gave up on the first day of voting after waiting for up to 12 hours.

The IPC has already said this was a deliberate attempt to frustrate voters and it would not accept the results of the elections.

Its presidential candidate Panduleni Itula, 67, said last week there was a “multitude of irregularities”.

No matter the result, “the IPC shall not recognize the outcome of that election”, he said on Saturday, the last day of the extended vote.