Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the candidate from Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party, is on track to make history as the country’s first female president, following last week’s presidential election.
Preliminary results from the electoral commission on Tuesday indicated that the 72-year-old vice president leads the race with 58.1% of the vote, with 91.8% of constituencies declared.
Her closest rival, Panduleni Itula, trails with 25.4%. To secure the presidency outright, Nandi-Ndaitwah must maintain more than 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff.
If confirmed, her victory would extend SWAPO’s governance to 34 consecutive years since Namibia’s independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Namibians also voted for the National Assembly, where SWAPO leads with 52.68% of votes counted.
The November 27 election faced logistical challenges, including ballot shortages and technical issues, which delayed results in some areas. However, past Namibian elections have been widely regarded as free and fair.
While political analysts had raised doubts about SWAPO’s chances, citing growing discontent over unemployment and inequality, the party’s deep rural support and legacy of the liberation struggle bolstered its position.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, a SWAPO veteran since the 1960s, has held several senior roles, including foreign minister, solidifying her standing within the party and the nation.
