Namibia’s first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah from the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), was elected with over 57% of the vote, surpassing her closest rival, Panduleni Itula, who received 26%.
However, following logistical issues and a three-day extension to polling in some regions of the country, Itula announced on Saturday that his party will not acknowledge the results, citing election malfeasance.
According to The Namibian newspaper, the majority of opposition parties skipped Tuesday’s results announcement in Windhoek.
“The Namibian nation has voted for peace and stability,” the Reuters news agency quotes Nandi-Ndaitwah as saying once the outcome had been announced.
Swapo has been in power in the large but sparsely populated southern African country since independence in 1990.
A party stalwart, Nandi-Ndaitwah, currently the vice president, is a trusted leader who has served in high government office for a quarter of a century.
Once sworn in she will be joining an exclusive club as at the moment Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan is Africa’s only female president.