Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party has won the recent elections, clearing the path for Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to become the country’s first female president.

The Electoral Commission announced on Tuesday that Nandi-Ndaitwah received over 57 percent of the vote, while the leading opposition candidate, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), secured 25.5 percent.

This victory extends SWAPO’s dominance since Namibia gained independence in 1990, though the election has been clouded by controversy. The IPC has rejected the results, citing numerous alleged irregularities.

Panduleni Itula, 67, declared on Saturday, November 30, that his party would not accept the election outcome. “The IPC shall not recognize the outcome of that election,” he stated, vowing to contest the results through Namibia’s legal processes.

The November 27 election faced logistical and technical difficulties, including a shortage of ballot papers and malfunctioning electronic tablets used for voter registration. These problems caused significant delays, with some voters abandoning polling stations after waiting for up to 12 hours.

While the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) acknowledged organizational flaws, it reported that nearly 77 percent of registered voters participated. Observers from a southern African human rights lawyers’ group suggested that the delays were both widespread and intentional.

The election comes at a critical time for SWAPO, as other liberation-era parties in the region, such as South Africa’s African National Congress and Botswana’s Democratic Party, have experienced declining support. Namibia, a leading exporter of uranium and diamonds, continues to struggle with a youth unemployment rate of 46 percent, nearly three times the national average.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, a veteran SWAPO politician known as NNN, becomes one of the few female leaders in Africa. She ran on a platform of “economic diplomacy,” promising to create jobs by attracting investment.

Often seen wearing gold-framed glasses and dressed in the blue, red, and green of SWAPO and Namibia’s national flag, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized her experience and wisdom during the campaign. The daughter of an Anglican pastor and a party loyalist, her election marks a historic moment for Namibia and serves as a test of SWAPO’s ability to maintain its influence amid growing discontent among younger voters.