President Emmerson Mnangagwa has congratulated Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the newly elected President of Namibia, following her victory in the presidential election held on November 30.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, the 72-year-old candidate from the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), secured over 57% of the votes cast, while her closest rival, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), garnered 26%.
In the National Assembly elections, SWAPO won 51 of the 96 seats, while the IPC secured 20 seats.
In his congratulatory message on Wednesday, December 4, Mnangagwa said that Nandi-Ndaitwah’s victory reflects the trust and confidence that the people of Namibia have in her leadership. He wrote:
<blockquote>
On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Zimbabwe and on my own behalf, I wish to extend to you my most sincere congratulations on your historic election as the President of the Republic of Namibia.
Your victory is a reflection of the trust and confidence that the people of Namibia have in your leadership to safeguard the liberation heritage and bring about socio-economic transformation in Namibia.
As you assume your new role, I am confident that the excellent relations between our two countries will continue to grow from strength to strength in the years ahead.
I take this opportunity to assure you of Zimbabwe’s commitment and readiness to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation with Namibia for the mutual benefit of our two peoples.
I wish you good health, as well as peace and prosperity for the people of Namibia.
Please accept, Your Excellency and Dear Sister, the assurances of my highest consideration.
</blockquote>
Nandi-Ndaitwah is married to Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, former Chief of the Namibian Defence Force.
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President Emmerson Mnangagwa said congratulations to Nandi-Ndaitwah, the new President of Namibia. She won the election with over 57% of the votes. Her party, SWAPO, also won seats in the National Assembly. Mnangagwa praised her leadership and said he looks forward to continuing good relations with Namibia. Nandi-Ndaitwah is married to Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, a former chief of the Namibian Defence Force.

Mnangagwa Congratulates Namibia's New President Nandi-Ndaitwah

The governing South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) candidate, Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has been declared the winner of Namibia’s presidential election, making her the country’s first female president.
Following last week’s contested election, Nandi-Ndaitwah (72) secured over 57% of the votes cast, while her closest rival, Panduleni Itula from the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), received 26%.
In the National Assembly election, SWAPO won 51 of the 96 seats, while the IPC won 20 seats.
The results were announced on Tuesday evening by Elsie Nghikembua, chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), in the capital city of Windhoek. Said Nghikembua:
<blockquote>
In the presidential elections,15 candidates participated… by the powers vested in me as the chairperson of the ECN, [I] do hereby declare that Nandi-Ndaitwah has been duly elected the president of Namibia.
</blockquote>
Following logistical issues and a three-day extension of polling in some areas, Itula said on Saturday that his party would not recognise the election results, citing allegations of electoral malpractice.
As a result, many opposition parties decided to boycott the results announcement.
SWAPO has been in power in Namibia, a large but sparsely populated southern African country, since 1990, when it gained independence from apartheid South Africa.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, a party stalwart and current vice president, is a trusted leader who has served in high government positions for 25 years.
Nandi-Ndaitwah was promoted to vice president from minister of foreign affairs in February after President Hage Geingob died while in office.
Once sworn in, she will join an exclusive group, as Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan is currently the only female president in Africa.
Itula, a trained dentist, is regarded as more charismatic than Nandi-Ndaitwah. He reduced SWAPO’s popularity in the 2019 presidential election, lowering its vote share from 87% to 56%.
The IPC has announced plans to seek justice through the courts and has urged people who believe they were unable to vote due to mismanagement by the electoral commission to file reports with the police.
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Namibia has elected its first female president, Nandi-Ndaitwah, from the SWAPO party. She won with 57% of the votes. Her rival, Itula, got 26% and is not happy with the results. Some opposition parties boycotted the announcement. Nandi-Ndaitwah has been in government for a long time and is trusted. Once she is sworn in, she will become Africa's second female president. Itula plans to challenge the results in court and urges those who couldn't vote to report to the police.

Nandi-Ndaitwah Elected As Namibia's First Female President

Namibia’s Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah could become the country’s first female president if she wins the presidential election on Wednesday, November 27.
At least 1.4 million people, or about half of the population, have registered to vote in the elections, with 15 political parties running for president and seats in the National Assembly.
Results from special early polls held for Namibia’s foreign missions, seamen and security services announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia this month indicate that Nandi-Ndaitwah and her party, the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), are in the lead.
SWAPO has governed Namibia since its independence from South Africa’s apartheid minority government in 1990.
In 2019, SWAPO lost its two-thirds majority in the National Assembly for the first time since 1994, largely due to allegations of corruption and money laundering in the Namibian fishing industry.
Political analyst Henning Melber believes SWAPO and Nandi-Ndaitwah must heed the 2019 election results as a warning.
Nandi-Ndaitwah (71) has promised to create more jobs and tackle the 20% unemployment rate for young people and graduates, pledging to spend approximately 85 billion Namibian dollars ($4.7 billion) over the next five years to create more than 500,000 jobs.
Issues affecting women, including reproductive rights, equal pay, and healthcare, are likely to be significant for voters.
If elected, Nandi-Ndaitwah would follow in the footsteps of Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Malawi’s Joyce Banda, and Catherine Samba-Panza of the Central African Republic as a female president in Africa.
SWAPO will face competition from the Independent Patriots for Change, led by former dentist Panduleni Itula, and university professor Job Amupanda’s Affirmative Repositioning party.
Political parties contesting the elections wrapped up their campaigns with final rallies this weekend.
Elections in southern Africa this year have delivered ground-breaking changes to the region’s political landscape.
In South Africa, the ANC lost its 30-year parliamentary majority, while Botswana’s Democratic Party was unseated after 58 years in power.
Disputed election results in Mozambique, which saw the ruling FRELIMO party declared the winner, have led to ongoing protests that have seen at least 30 people killed.
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Namibia's Vice President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, could become the first female president if she wins the election. The election is on November 27, and 1.4 million people have registered to vote. Nandi-Ndaitwah's party, SWAPO, is in the lead. She promises to create jobs and tackle unemployment, especially for young people. Women's issues are important for voters too. If she wins, she will follow other female presidents in Africa. Other parties are also competing in the election. This year, there have been big political changes in southern Africa.

Nandi-Ndaitwah Could Become Namibia's First Female President

Namibia’s Vice President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah could become the country’s first female president after the incumbent, Hage Geingob said she would be the ruling SWAPO party’s sole candidate in elections set to be held in 2024.
Addressing a SWAPO central committee meeting on Saturday, Geingob said all party members should rally behind Nandi-Ndaitwah when the right time comes. <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/namibias-hage-geingob-declares-nandi-ndaitwah-as-his-successor/">ZimLive </a>quoted him as saying:
<blockquote>
We are going to have one candidate only when the time comes. That will be comrade Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
So, let’s stop the rumours, dreams, fears and so on. The time is not here yet. The appropriate time [will come].
And we will campaign because it’s SWAPO at stake. There are a lot of things at stake. SWAPO and the country.
When you have processes, systems, and institutions, it’s not [about] an individual. It’s a question of our party and country.
Therefore, we have a person who will lead us, supported by all of us, whether you were opposed to [her]… that’s politics. It’s democracy.
You have the right to oppose, disagree or condemn a person. But when that person is elected, that’s why I kept on saying, don’t play the person, play the ball. When the game is over, you kick the ball away.
… When it’s over, it’s over. I hope we don’t go and have factions from now on. I’ve been hearing it still. It’s over. We have elected candidates.
When the time comes, we will properly campaign for her. We will do the campaign, some of us so that she is elected on behalf of SWAPO.
</blockquote>
Nandi-Ndaitwah would be Namibia’s fourth president since the country gained independence from South Africa in 1990.
Geingob, who is serving the last of his two terms, succeeded Hifikepunye Pohamba in 2015.
Pohamba served as the second president of Namibia from March 2005 to March 2015 after taking over from the country’s first president Sam Nujoma, who ruled from 1990 to 2005.
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