Namibia elects Nandi-Ndaitwah as country’s first woman president

Namibia's vice president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, of the governing South West Africa People's Organization, (SWAPO) waves as she casts her vote in a presidential election in Windhoek, Namibia [File: Esther Mbathera/AP]

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, won with 57 percent of the vote, flouting predictions that she might be forced into a run-off.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been elected Namibia’s president and will be the country’s first female leader, results released by the country’s electoral commission show.

The 72-year-old won with 57 percent of the vote, according to official results declared on Tuesday by the electoral commission, flouting predictions that she might be forced into a run-off.

“The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said after being declared president-elect.

Her win cements her governing South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party’s 34-year hold on power since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990 – a contested outcome.

Opposition parties have rejected the results after the election was marred by technical problems, including shortages of ballot papers and other issues, causing election officials to extend voting until Saturday. Long queues meant that some voters gave up on the first day of voting after waiting for up to 12 hours.

The opposition parties say the extension was illegal and have pledged to challenge the results in court.

The candidate for the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), Panduleni Itula, trailed Nandi-Ndaitwah with 25.5 percent of the vote, according to the commission.

“The rule of law has been grossly violated and we cannot call these elections by any means or measure as free, fair and legitimate,” Itula said on Saturday.

Nandi-Ndaitwah was promoted to vice president in February after President Hage Geingob died while in office.

While in power for decades, SWAPO has disenchanted young voters due to high youth unemployment rates and enduring inequalities.

She got her start in politics by taking part in the country’s underground independence movement in the 1970s. She returned from the UK to join parliament in 1990 and went on to serve as minister with several portfolios over the years.