Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah elected 5th & first female President of Namibia
Appointment
5 min read
Namibia made history when it elected its first woman president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The current Vice President will succeed the interim President, Nangolo Mbumba.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was promoted to Vice President in February this year after President Hage Geingob died in office.
According to the Namibian Electoral Commission, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah secured 57% of the votes, while her closest rival, Panduleni Itula, got 26%.
Once sworn in, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will be the second woman to be the President of Africa. Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania is currently Africa's only female President.
Presidential & Parliamentary Election in Namibia
An election was held in Namibia on 27 November 2024 to elect a new President and 96 members of the National Assembly of the Namibian Parliament.
Fifteen candidates contested the Presidential election. The main candidate was incumbent Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation) political party, which has ruled the country since independence in 1990. Her main challenger was Panduleni Itula of the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) party.
Technical glitches, such as shortages of ballot papers, marred the whole election process, causing election officials to extend the voting by three days.
In Namibia’s Presidential election,a candidate is elected if he/she secures 50 per cent or more votes. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected the fifth President of Namibia as she secured 57 per cent of the votes.
In the parliamentary election, SWAPO won 51 of the 96 elected seats, and the opposition IPC won 20 seats. This is the worst electoral performance of SWAPO, which has ruled the country since independence in 1990.
Term of the Namibian President
The Namibian constitution vests executive power to the President. The Namibian President is both the head of the Government and the Head of the State.
The President is directly elected by the people, and the term of the President is five years.
Parliament of Namibia
The Parliament of Namibia is bicameral, with the National Assembly being the lower house and the National Council as the upper house.
The 104-member National Assembly consists of 96 elected members, who are directly elected by the people for a five-year term. Eight members are nominated by the President and do not have the right to vote in the National Assembly.
The upper house, the National Council, consists of 42 members who are indirectly elected for a six-year term.
About Namibia
Namibia is located on the southwestern coast of Africa and gained independence from South Africa in 1990.
Initially, it was called South West Africa, and after independence, it was renamed Namibia.
Namibia's total population is around 30 lakhs, and it is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Africa.
Namibia is a harsh place to live as both the Namib and Kalahari deserts straddle the country.
Capital: Windhoek
Currency: Namibian Dollar
