Namibia’s First Female President Says Election Victory ‘Breaks Glass Ceiling’

 

Namibia’s first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, declared on Thursday that her victory in last week’s disputed election marked a significant “breaking of the glass ceiling.” Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is also the country’s vice-president, secured just over 57 percent of the vote, comfortably ahead of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) candidate, who received 25.5 percent. The election authority announced the results on Tuesday.

However, the IPC has rejected the election outcome, citing “a multitude of irregularities.” Despite this, Nandi-Ndaitwah, speaking at her first press briefing since the announcement, expressed pride in being the first woman to hold the presidency of the mineral-rich nation. “As a woman, I’m the first to admit that my election to the highest office in the land is definitely one that is breaking the glass ceiling for a Namibian woman,” she said.

The 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah, a key figure in the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party, became Namibia’s first female head of state since the country gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. She paid tribute to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia, who became the first woman president on the African continent in 2006. Nandi-Ndaitwah credited Sirleaf with paving the way for women leaders across Africa.

“For me, it’s just to reaffirm that equal responsibility of women and men in society is a reality,” she added.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, who has been part of the government since 2000 and became vice president in February, will join a small group of female leaders on the African continent. Known by her initials, NNN, she is a conservative figure, particularly on issues like abortion, which remains largely banned in Namibia except in certain circumstances. Despite this, she has not been an outspoken advocate for women’s rights.

In her address, Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized that her victory provides both constitutional and moral legitimacy to her and her SWAPO party’s governance. However, the election, which had been extended from November 27 to November 30, was marred by logistical and technical challenges, including a shortage of ballot papers that led to long queues. Some voters, frustrated by waits of up to 12 hours, chose to give up on the first day of voting.

The IPC claims that these issues were a deliberate attempt to frustrate voters and has stated it will not accept the election results. Nandi-Ndaitwah, however, did not blame the Electoral Commission of Namibia when asked about its handling of the vote, acknowledging that the commission had brought the process to a conclusion. The commission admitted to several failures, including the ballot paper shortage and the overheating of electronic tablets used to register voters.

The commission reported that nearly 77 percent of the 1.5 million registered voters cast ballots in the election. While this was an increase from the previous presidential vote, turnout was notably uneven. In SWAPO strongholds in the northern regions of Ohangwena and Omusati, where Nandi-Ndaitwah performed best with 80 and 83 percent of the vote, turnout reached 91 and 92 percent, respectively. In contrast, the densely-populated Khomas region, which includes the capital Windhoek and where many of the election’s issues occurred, saw only 67 percent voter turnout.

Looking ahead, Nandi-Ndaitwah has pledged to implement significant changes, promising a “radical shift” in addressing the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities. “It’s not going to be business as usual. We must have a radical shift in addressing the plight of our people, especially the downtrodden and the vulnerable communities,” she stated. She is scheduled to be sworn in as president on March 21, 2025.