Voters frustrated as Namibia’s SWAPO somehow manages to retain power

Namibia's ruling SWAPO party retained power despite its worst electoral performance, with Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah becoming the first female president. SWAPO won 53.4% of votes, securing 51 parliamentary seats. Nandi-Ndaitwah pledged resource management reforms amid upcoming oil production while addressing unemployment, drought, and housing issues. Opposition alleged irregularities; authorities deemed the vote fair..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here..The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here..By Kaula Nhongo.Namibia's ruling party held onto power despite its worst-ever electoral showing as its candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah became the first woman to win the presidency in the sparsely populated southwest African nation. .The South West African Peoples Organisation secured 51 of the 96 elected seats in parliament after winning 53.4% of the 1.1 million votes cast last week, while the Independent Patriots garnered 20.2% backing and 20 seats, final results released by the electoral commission late Tuesday showed. A further eight seats will be allocated by the president..Backing for Swapo, which has ruled since independence in 1990, slumped from 65.5% five years ago amid widespread disgruntlement over high levels of unemployment, graft and inequality. .Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, won the presidential race with 57.3% backing, while Panduleni Itula, who founded the IPC in 2020, polled 25.5%, the electoral commission said. More than three-quarters of the 1.45 million registered voters cast ballots..While several opposition parties have complained that the vote was marred by irregularities, the electoral commission expressed confidence that it was free and fair. .The election outcome signals broad policy continuity in a nation that's on the verge of becoming a major hydrocarbons producer after recent offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin by companies including TotalEnergies SE and Shell Plc. The government expects commercial production to begin as early as 2029..Nandi-Ndaitwah has been a prominent figure in Namibian politics for decades. .Born in the northern village of Onamutai, she is married to Epaphras Denga Ndaitwah, a former chief of the defense force, with whom she has three sons. She joined Swapo at a time when it was fighting for independence from apartheid South Africa and went on to hold several prominent roles within the organization, including serving as its chief representative in Zambia and East Africa. .Since Swapo took power, Nandi-Ndaitwah has served as communications minister, foreign minister and deputy prime minister. She was named deputy president in February after Hage Geingob died in office and his No. 2, Nangolo Mbumba, took over the top job..The president-elect has pledged to effect changes to the management of the country's natural resources, which include uranium and diamonds, while maintaining investor confidence. ."There should be a balance to make sure the Namibian people, who are the owners of these resources, benefit from them," she said after casting her vote on Nov. 27. "At the same time, investors must make a profit to sustain their operations." .Besides having to oversee any oil and gas income, the new administration will also have to tackle a slew of other challenges including a 43% unemployment rate, a crippling drought that has further depleted water resources in what was already sub-Saharan Africa's driest country, and a shortage of affordable housing..Read also:.Namibia heads into tightest election since independence as nation gears up for oil boomNamibia prepares to become global hotspot as oil boom ignites economic transformationTotalEnergies plans to quit South African offshore gas discoveries, prefers neighbouring Namibia.© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Voters frustrated as Namibia’s SWAPO somehow manages to retain power

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