Elections in Namibia: The results are in, and so is the country’s first female president

Many claimed that a victory by Namibia`s ruling party of some 34 years, South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), was by no means a certainty, with some calling it the country`s most competitive election in history as a result of factors such as record high unemployment, mostly affecting the youth upon whose votes many said the election would rest. The youth`s dissatisfaction in the ruling party was due to their expectations of better education, jobs and future prospects. Claims of party corruption and inequality also eroded SWAPO`s support.

A loss by SWAPO would have seen a transition of power to a new party, for the first time since the southern African country gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. South Africa itself has recently seen the 30-year plus ruling African National Congress (ANC) lose its majority and be forced into a coalition government, and Botswana`s Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has suffered a similar loss – with such trends also emerging in Mozambique, Mauritius, Angola and Zimbabwe. Many questioned whether Namibia may indeed follow suit in these elections. 

However, in late November 2024, receiving approximately 57% of the votes, thereby securing over the 50% plus required to secure victory and avoid a runoff election, a new President elect was declared in the form of 72-year-old Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, SWAPO candidate and the current Vice-President, making her the first woman president of Namibia. She prevailed over her main opponent, Panduleni Itula, a former dentist and SWAPO member now leading the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), who came in second receiving only 26% of the votes in comparison. 

The National Assembly was voted for separately by Namibians, with SWAPO defying expectations and winning a majority by securing 51 of the 96 elected seats. However, SWAPO lost 12 seats, which may be a result of the youth showing their displeasure with a party so long in power. The IPC again came in second with 20 elected seats, declaring it as the official opposition. The president is elected for a term of five years, with the possibility of re-election. 

Election day mishaps and skepticism 

Election day in the Southern African country, 27 November 2024, was met with technical difficulties, longer queues than in previous elections, ballot paper shortages and scanner failures, resulting in people being sent home after a long wait, leading to extended voting in certain places and delays to results being publicly available. One likely explanation for these errors may be the high number of voters, with reported turnout being well above the projected figure expected by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).

IPC's reaction to the election

Post-election, the IPC has stated that it will challenge the election results in court, claiming that the ECN is not without flaws and is responsible for errors and irregularities in the implementation of the election. The IPC, as the only plaintiff, has challenged the election result in court. The party named the ECN Chair, the Chief Electoral Officer and the President of Namibia as defendants, and argue that the election was unlawfully extended and also did not take place on a public holiday. In addition, there were not enough ballots. In almost 40 of 4,622 polling stations, voting had to continue despite the official end of the election. 

After the IPC’s defeat, Panduleni Itula called for the election to be declared invalid and a new election held. 

Allegations of influence by Zimbabwe have been denied by President-elect Nandi-Ndaitwah, after five Namibian political parties, IPC being one of them, accused Zimbabwe`s African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) of influencing the disputed presidential race and National Assembly elections, and of helping SWAPO ultimately retain its power.

At the time of this article, the court's decision remains pending.

First female president in Namibia – second in Africa

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, untarnished by corruption allegations marring her party, is set to become Namibia's first female president and only the second female president in Africa after Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan. The former vice president, has been in public service and leadership roles for a long period of time, having served as Minister of the Environment and Foreign Affairs in previous governments. Nandi-Ndaitwah is commended by many for uniting fractions within SWAPO and is largely regarded as a symbol of continuity, although she appeared to have made it clear in the course of her election campaign that she is willing to effect change.

The political future of Namibia

Namibia faces key challenges, such as its poor economic situation, inadequate medical care and ongoing allegations of governmental corruption. The recurring water supply crisis highlights the deficits in the infrastructure.

SWAPO's campaign promises include creating new jobs and construction of more housing. It also seeks to attract investors to promote the production of green hydrogen, which is forecast to take centre stage in Namibia`s landscape and projected to generate approximately 1.4 billion dollars, annually bringing with it employment opportunities and infrastructure improvements but also political tensions surrounding resource management, awarding of contracts and equitable development. The party promises to foster and encourage "green energy", agriculture, and infrastructure, which is of particular interest to international actors engaged in green hydrogen, but opposition parties argue that past corruption scandals and SWAPO`s history of mismanaging natural resources may be stumbling blocks. It remains to be seen what SWAPO will do with its new lease on power or what the resistance to the election results may achieve.

Authored by Camilla Fröhlich, Senior Associate, and Lena Grebe, Research Assistant.