Namibia elects its first woman president: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Her victory extends the ruling SWAPO party’s 34 years in power since it led the country to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990
Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party was declared winner Tuesday of last week’s disputed elections, ushering in the southern African country’s first woman president after a disputed vote that the main opposition has already said it does not recognise.
Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah took just over 57 per cent of ballots followed by the candidate for the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) with 25.5 per cent, the election authority announced.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, 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 from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
The November 27 election was a test of SWAPO’s 34-year grip on power, with the IPC attracting some support from younger generations more concerned by unemployment and inequality than loyalty to liberation-era parties.
Voting was extended to November 30 after 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 said this was a deliberate attempt to frustrate voters and it would not accept the results.
