By Ebi Kesiena
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made history by becoming Namibia’s first female president and the country’s fifth head of state.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) announced the final election results on Tuesday evening, confirming Nandi-Ndaitwah’s victory with 638,560 votes, representing 58.1% of valid ballots. Her closest competitor, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), received 284,106 votes, or 25.8% of the total.
ECN Chairperson Elsie Nghikembua officially declared, “Netumbo Ndemupelila Nandi-Ndaitwah has been duly elected as President of the Republic of Namibia.”
In the National Assembly elections held concurrently, the ruling SWAPO party secured a majority with 51 out of 96 seats. IPC followed with 20 seats, while other parties such as Affirmative Repositioning (AR) won six seats.
The Landless People’s Movement and the Popular Democratic Movement each secured five seats. The United Democratic Front of Namibia obtained two seats, while smaller parties, including SWANU, the Republican Party, and the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters, each claimed one seat.
Meanwhile, the announcement was marked by controversy, as opposition leaders except for AR leader Job Amupanda boycotted the event. Many opposition parties have announced plans to challenge the results in court, raising concerns about transparency, technical issues, and alleged voter disenfranchisement.
