Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Becomes Namibia’s First Female President

Credit: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah/Instagram

Namibia has elected its first female president, with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah declared the winner of the presidential election according to the results released by the country’s electoral commission– marking a historic moment for the country.

The 72-year-old garnered 57% of the vote, securing her position as Namibia’s new leader and extending the ruling SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation) party’s 34-year leadership since independence in 1990.

Her closest rival, Panduleni Itula, a 67-year-old dentist and leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), came second with 25.5%, a decrease from the 29% he achieved in 2019. SWAPO, Nandi-Ndaitwah’s party, won 53% of the parliamentary vote—its lowest share since Namibia’s independence—while IPC secured 20%, emerging as the second-largest party.

Netumbo, a seasoned politician and former vice-president, has has been in public service from her days in Namibia’s independence movement in the 1970s. She was promoted from foreign minister to vice-president in February, after president Hage Geingob passed on while in office. Speaking after being declared president-elect, she said, “The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability.”

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The election wasn’t without its challenges. Logistical issues, including ballot shortages, led to a three-day voting extension in some areas. While opposition parties, including the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), have raised concerns about the process and plan to contest the results, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s win is widely seen as a milestone for gender representation in leadership.